Israel has kept up its pressure campaign on Hezbollah with a new wave of airstrikes on Tuesday in Lebanon despite Lebanese leaders calling for talks with its southern neighbor.
Lebanon has felt the brunt of Israel’s attacks outside of Iran since the start of the war on Feb. 28, as Iran-backed Hezbollah is largely based within the country. Hezbollah launched an attack on an Israeli defense facility after the news broke about the death of former Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, leading to Israel’s retaliation.
The new strikes come one day after Lebanese officials sought to sit for direct peace talks with Israeli officials. Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun said the Israeli strikes have killed over 400 Lebanese citizens, as he railed against both Israel and Hezbollah for what he called their “attempt to corner” Lebanon, according to CNN.
Last week, Israel launched several waves of bombings in the Beirut capital region, including 26 strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure. Israel warned of the strikes beforehand, telling citizens to evacuate, which has led to an exodus of hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians from the country.
The Israeli military announced overnight strikes on the facilities of a Hezbollah affiliate that the terrorist group “used to finance the purchasing of weapons and terrorist salaries.” Israeli military international spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said on Tuesday that Hezbollah is “hiding its strategic weapons in the heart of the Dahieh in Beirut, beneath the residential buildings of Lebanese residents,” per intelligence reports.
HEGSETH ACKNOWLEDGES US AND ISRAEL’S DIFFERING OBJECTIVES AFTER IRAN OIL SITE STRIKES
“These are missiles, drones and additional weapons funded by the Iranian terror regime and designed to harm Israeli civilians,” Shoshani said. “This is not a reality we will accept—not for Israeli civilians, nor for Lebanese civilians.”
The strikes continue as Israel and the United States move well into the second week of their war with Iran. The Trump administration has given varying statements on how long the conflict is expected to last, with War Secretary Pete Hegseth saying that “this is only just the beginning,” while President Donald Trump said Monday that the military is “very close to finishing” the operation.