Israel attacks Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut for the second time since the ceasefire began

The Israel Defence Forces have announced the death of a Hezbollah member during a night-time attack in Dahieh, a Hezbollah stronghold on the southern outskirts of Beirut. This is the second bombardment of the Lebanese capital since the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into force. 

Last week, the Israeli army attacked a drone warehouse in southern Beirut after Hezbollah launched projectiles into Israeli territory. The IDF also bombed ‘Hezbollah terrorist targets’ in the south of the neighbouring country and held the Lebanese government responsible for any attack against Israel from its territory.  

This latest attack on Dahieh targeted ‘a Hezbollah terrorist who had recently directed Hamas operatives and helped them plan a significant and imminent terrorist attack against Israeli civilians,’ the Israeli army said in a statement.

The man in question is Hassan Ali Mahmoud Badir, an operative of Hezbollah's Unit 3900 and the Iranian Quds Force. ‘Hassan Badir had recently been operating in coordination with the terrorist organisation Hamas, directing Hamas terrorists and helping them to promote a scheme of serious attack against Israeli civilians in the immediate term,’ the IDF said. 

Lebanese health authorities reported that at least three people were killed in the attack and another seven were injured. For its part, the Hezbollah-affiliated media outlet Al Mayadeen said that the operative eliminated in the attack did not occupy an important position within the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia. 

The Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, has condemned the Israeli air strike, describing it as a ‘serious warning about premeditated intentions against Lebanon’. ‘Israel's persistence in its aggression requires us to make greater efforts to reach out to Lebanon's friends around the world and mobilise them in support of our right to full sovereignty over our territory,’ he added. 

After the attack, the secretary general of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, stated that his party would not accept Israel bombing the southern suburbs of Beirut, warning that the attacks on the capital were ‘over the line’. 

Despite the implementation of the ceasefire at the end of November, Israel has continued to attack Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. Likewise, Jerusalem also accuses the Lebanese government of not implementing its part of the agreement, which demands the dismantling of Hezbollah's military arsenal and its withdrawal from its borders. 

The recent Israeli attacks against Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut, added to the constant threats from the Lebanese group, have left the ceasefire in an extremely fragile position. Added to this is the firm stance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has reiterated that his army will not hesitate to attack anywhere in Lebanon to neutralise the threats and ensure that the terms of the cessation of hostilities are met. 

On the other hand, tensions are spreading beyond the border between Israel and Lebanon. The resumption of the war in Gaza, with Israeli attacks and rocket fire by Hamas, adds to the growing instability in the Red Sea, where the Houthis have intensified their attacks with missiles and drones, while the United States responds with bombing raids against this militia in Yemen. With several active fronts of conflict, the region is in a spiral of violence that threatens to spiral out of control even further.