Smoke billows over Beirut's southern suburbs following an Israeli airstrike on November 12, 2024 — Reuters
The Israeli military conducted at least five airstrikes on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday, after Israel's defense minister ruled out any ceasefire in Lebanon until Israel's objectives had been achieved. Smoke rose over Beirut as explosions rocked the capital around mid-morning. The strikes followed an Israeli military warning posted on social media identifying 12 sites in the southern suburbs and stating it would take action against them soon. It warned residents they were located near Hezbollah facilities. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the latest strikes. Residents have largely fled the southern suburbs since Israel began bombing the area in September.
In Israel, air raid sirens sounded in parts of the north, prompting residents to seek shelter, and the military reported several "suspicious aerial targets" launched from Lebanon. There were no reports of injuries. The conflict at the Lebanese-Israeli border, ignited by the Gaza war, had been ongoing for a year before Israel launched its offensive in September, targeting wide areas of Lebanon with airstrikes and sending troops into the south.
Israel has inflicted significant damage on Hezbollah over the past seven weeks, killing many of its top leaders including Hassan Nasrallah, flattening parts of Beirut's southern suburbs, and causing extensive destruction in border villages in south Lebanon. During his first meeting with Israel's general staff, Israel's newly appointed Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on Monday that there would be no ceasefire in Lebanon until Israel achieves its goals.
"Israel will not agree to any arrangement that does not guarantee Israel's right to enforce and prevent terrorism on its own, and meet the goals of the war in Lebanon - disarming Hezbollah and its withdrawal beyond the Litani River and returning the residents of the north safely to their homes." Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar had mentioned earlier on Monday that there had been "a certain progress" in ceasefire talks, while noting that the war against Hezbollah was not yet over. The main challenge facing any ceasefire deal would be enforcement, he said.
Hezbollah has declared readiness for a prolonged war against Israel and has continued rocket fire. The Lebanese government, which includes Hezbollah, has repeatedly called for a ceasefire based on the full implementation of a UN Resolution that ended a war between the group and Israel in 2006. The resolution calls for the area south of the Litani to be free of all weapons other than those of the Lebanese state. Lebanon and Israel have accused each other of violating the resolution.
Israel's offensive has displaced more than one million people from their homes in Lebanon in the last seven weeks. Since hostilities began a year ago, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have resulted in 3,243 deaths and 14,134 injuries, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Its figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Hezbollah attacks have killed approximately 100 civilians and soldiers in northern Israel, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and southern Lebanon over the past year.
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