Beirut, March 31, 2025 – An Israeli airstrike rocked Beirut’s southern suburbs early Tuesday, killing at least three people and wounding seven others, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The strike, which targeted a Hezbollah militant, has further strained a fragile four-month ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed group, raising fears of renewed escalation in the volatile region.

A Precision Strike in Dahiyeh

The Israeli military confirmed the operation, stating that its air force, guided by Shin Bet intelligence, struck an apartment in the densely populated Dahiyeh district—a Hezbollah stronghold—at around 2:30 a.m. local time. The target was identified as a Hezbollah operative accused of directing Hamas activities and assisting in planning an imminent “severe attack” against Israeli civilians. “The terrorist was eliminated,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement, though it did not release the individual’s name.

Lebanese security sources told Reuters that the strike hit the upper three floors of a residential building, causing significant structural damage. Photos from the scene showed a gaping hole in the facade, with debris strewn across the street below. Emergency responders, including the Lebanese Red Cross, scrambled to evacuate the wounded as residents fled in panic. “We heard a massive explosion, then screams,” said Ali Mahmoud, a local shopkeeper. “It felt like the war was back.”

Casualties and Condemnation

The Health Ministry’s preliminary toll—three dead and seven injured—underscored the human cost of the strike. Among the casualties were believed to be civilians living in the targeted building, though identities have not been released. Hezbollah’s Al-Mayadeen network reported that only a “regular member” of the group was killed, contradicting Israel’s claim of a high-value target. The group has not yet issued an official statement on the strike or the operative’s identity.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack as a “dangerous warning” of Israel’s “premeditated aggression.” In a televised address, he called for intensified diplomatic efforts to protect Lebanon’s sovereignty, warning that the strike threatened to unravel the ceasefire brokered in November 2024. “This is not self-defense—it’s a provocation,” Aoun said, urging international allies to intervene.

A Shaky Ceasefire Tested

The strike comes amid simmering tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border. The ceasefire, mediated by the United States and France, had paused a year of tit-for-tat clashes sparked by the Gaza war in 2023, during which Hezbollah fired rockets in solidarity with its Palestinian ally, Hamas. Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon has killed thousands since then, displacing over 1.2 million people, while Hezbollah’s barrages have claimed over 50 lives in Israel, including civilians.

Recent weeks have seen cracks in the truce. Israel delayed a promised troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon in January and, earlier this month, bombarded Beirut’s suburbs after intercepting rockets it blamed on Hezbollah—a charge the group denied. Tuesday’s strike marks the second Israeli operation in Dahiyeh in four days, following a similar attack last week that damaged infrastructure but caused no reported deaths.

The U.S. State Department weighed in, framing the strike as a legitimate response to threats from Lebanon. “Hostilities resumed because terrorists launched rockets into Israel,” a spokesperson said, reaffirming Washington’s support for Israel’s right to defend itself. Critics, however, argue the strike risks reigniting a broader conflict, with posts on X warning of a “cycle of retaliation” that could spiral out of control.

Regional Ripples

The attack has heightened Middle East tensions, already frayed by Iran’s looming response to potential U.S. policy shifts under President Donald Trump’s second term. Hezbollah, a key node in Iran’s “Axis of Resistance,” has vowed to continue its fight until Israel ends its operations in Gaza—a condition unmet as the war there drags into its second year, with over 40,000 Palestinian deaths reported.

In Beirut, the mood is one of weary defiance. “We’ve lived through worse,” said Fatima Hassan, a Dahiyeh resident whose home shook during the strike. “But every bomb makes peace feel further away.” As rescue workers sift through the rubble and investigators piece together the target’s role, the region braces for Hezbollah’s next move—and whether this latest bloodshed will tip the scales toward all-out war.