In a brazen and unprovoked act of aggression, Israel launched yet another airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs early Tuesday, killing at least three people and injuring seven others, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The attack, which targeted a residential building in the densely populated Dahiyeh neighborhood—a known Hezbollah stronghold—has plunged the region into further chaos, threatening a fragile ceasefire brokered just four months ago between Israel and the Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah. This latest assault underscores Israel’s blatant disregard for international agreements and its relentless pursuit of violence, even as the world watches in weary resignation.
The strike, carried out without prior warning, demolished the upper three floors of a multi-story apartment building, leaving debris strewn across the streets and families fleeing in terror. Eyewitnesses described a scene of carnage as ambulances raced to the site, their sirens piercing the early morning silence. “The explosion shook the entire neighborhood,” said Ali Mahmoud, a local resident who narrowly escaped the blast. “We thought the ceasefire meant peace, but Israel has shown once again it cannot be trusted.” CCTV footage circulating online captured the moment of impact, revealing the sheer force of the attack that left little chance for those inside to survive.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry confirmed the death toll, noting that among the casualties was a woman, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of Israel’s military attacks. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the strike targeted a Hezbollah operative allegedly involved in coordinating with Hamas, but as usual, provided no concrete evidence to substantiate their assertion. This flimsy justification has become a hallmark of Israel’s playbook—bomb first, explain later, and expect the world to nod in approval. “Israel’s so-called precision strikes are nothing more than a cover for collective punishment,” said Dr. Rania Kassem, a Beirut-based political analyst. “They hit civilian areas and then pin the blame on Hezbollah to wash their hands of the blood.”
The attack marks the second Israeli airstrike on Beirut in less than a week, following a similar assault on Friday, March 28, which also shattered months of relative calm. That strike, too, was justified by Israel as a retaliation for alleged rocket fire from Lebanon—fire that Hezbollah explicitly denied launching.
The pattern is clear: Israel exploits any pretext, no matter how dubious, to escalate tensions and undermine the US-brokered ceasefire established in November 2024. That agreement, painstakingly mediated by the United States and France, was meant to end a year of devastating conflict that saw Israel’s relentless bombing campaign kill over 4,000 Lebanese, including Hezbollah’s longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health.
International condemnation was swift but predictably toothless. French President Emmanuel Macron, whose government played a key role in negotiating the ceasefire, called the strikes “unacceptable” and accused Israel of violating the agreement in a way that “plays into Hezbollah’s hands.” Yet, such statements ring hollow when Israel faces no tangible consequences for its actions. The United Nations, meanwhile, issued a tepid call for restraint, with a spokesperson noting the “concerning escalation” but stopping short of naming Israel as the aggressor—a cowardice that has long defined the UN’s response to Israeli transgressions.
The ceasefire, already strained by Israel’s repeated violations, now hangs by a thread. Under its terms, Hezbollah agreed to withdraw its forces north of the Litani River, while Israel was supposed to pull its troops out of southern Lebanon within 60 days—a deadline it conveniently ignored, maintaining a military presence in violation of the deal. “Israel never intended to honor the ceasefire,” said Imad Salamey, a political scientist at the Lebanese American University in Beirut. “This is a calculated strategy to provoke Hezbollah, destabilize Lebanon, and justify further aggression.” Indeed, Israel’s refusal to withdraw its forces, coupled with its resumption of airstrikes, exposes the ceasefire as little more than a temporary pause in its war machine.
Lebanese officials have scrambled to salvage the situation, engaging in urgent talks with the US-led monitoring committee to de-escalate tensions. President Joseph Aoun condemned the strike as “unjustified,” pointing to a Lebanese investigation that found no evidence linking Hezbollah to recent rocket fire—an investigation Israel predictably dismissed. “They bomb us and then call us liars when we prove their claims false,” Aoun said in a televised address. “The international community must hold Israel accountable before this spirals into a new war.”
The human toll of Israel’s aggression is impossible to ignore. Since the ceasefire began, sporadic Israeli attacks have killed dozens across Lebanon, with Tuesday’s strike adding to a growing list of civilian casualties. The Dahiyeh neighborhood, a bustling hub of life despite years of conflict, now bears fresh scars from Israel’s bombs. “My children woke up screaming,” said Fatima Hossein, a mother of three who lives blocks from the strike site. “We thought the war was over, but Israel won’t let us live in peace.”
Critics argue that Israel’s actions are part of a broader pattern of impunity, enabled by unwavering US support. “The Biden administration greenlights these attacks with weapons and diplomatic cover,” said Phyllis Bennis, a Middle East expert at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington. “Israel knows it can bomb Beirut, kill civilians, and face nothing more than a slap on the wrist.” The US State Department issued a vague statement urging “all parties” to respect the ceasefire, conveniently sidestepping Israel’s role as the instigator.
As Lebanon mourns its dead, the question looms: how many more lives must be lost before Israel’s aggression is reined in? The ceasefire, once a glimmer of hope, now feels like a cruel illusion, shattered by a nation that thrives on conflict and flouts international law with impunity. For the people of Beirut, the message is clear—Israel’s bombs will keep falling, and the world will keep watching.
