Israel strikes Hezbollah in Beirut after ceasefire violated by rockets

Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes on Sunday on what it described as Hezbollah’s command centers in Beirut’s southern suburbs, hours after Israeli officials said Hezbollah had fired rockets into northern Israel. Hezbollah did not immediately claim responsibility for the incident.

The escalation came just days after the United States, Israel and Lebanon announced a renewed conditional ceasefire framework requiring Hezbollah to cease fire and withdraw from some areas in southern Lebanon. This also followed the release of IDF footage that Israel said showed troops dismantling Hezbollah’s explosives facility; An outside expert said the components appeared compatible with anti-personnel shrapnel devices designed to injure or kill pedestrians.

The attacks mark a major escalation in cross-border tensions, days after the United States, Israel and Lebanon announced a renewed conditional ceasefire framework requiring Hezbollah to cease fire and withdraw from some areas in southern Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the military action was in direct retaliation for the group’s violation earlier in the day.

Hezbollah Fires a Barrage of Rockets at Israel After Israel Defense Forces Target Hezbollah Command Centers in Beirut

Simultaneously, footage released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) showed troops finding and dismantling a hidden cache of booby-trapped explosives.

The multi-purpose assembly center is revealed to contain materials that can be used in makeshift shrapnel and propane tanks to create a distributed, lethal network.

Nick ReeseAn adjunct professor at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs and a former U.S. national security advisor told Fox News Digital that the seized weapons cache indicates a deliberate emphasis on personnel casualties that could be military or civilian targets.

“Given the current situation, they probably targeted more military personnel. The purpose of shrapnel bombs is to injure and kill people on foot,” Reese said. he said.

“The video cuts between the IDF entering the building and showing the contents. They have probably cleared the booby traps by now,” Reese added. “It would be standard practice at a facility like this to look for and disarm booby traps before entering and filming anything.”

“It is possible that booby traps use shrapnel methods, but I see no evidence of this in the video. It shows what appears to be a shrapnel bomb, but it is likely not a booby trap unless the IDF defuses it off camera,” he said.

HIZBOLLA’S ‘HUMAN SHIELD’ STRATEGY BEHIND THE LEBANON AMBUSH AND BOMB EXPLOSION – MACRON WITHDRAWS

Hezbollah worked to build private residences and facilities under houses. (Benoît Durand / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images)

Among the items found in the raid was a container filled with nails and other sharp objects, which Reese noted were specific indicators of anti-personnel targeting.

“This video shows what appears to be a container with nails or other sharp tools inside,” Reese said. “This is likely used to create shrapnel bombs intended to kill, injure and maim targets.”

“Such devices are both effective and cause significant fear in the public, which was probably the intent,” Reese continued. “The method is not very complex, but it shows that they are targeting people and not just hardware or infrastructure.”

“Making shrapnel bombs also tends to be cheap, easily concealed, and particularly effective against personnel. Such bombs are likely to be used on a significant scale.”

“The video shows a variety of materials that can be used to create bombs, from makeshift shrapnel to what appear to be propane tanks,” Reese explained.

“These components will be used for very different purposes, so the location appears to be a centralized general-purpose explosives production facility.”

“Propane tanks will be used for larger targets like tanks or buildings, while shrapnel will be used against infantry or in public places,” Reese said.

USA AND ISRAEL ANNOUNCED TARGETED KILLINGS OF TERRORIST LEADERS IN SYRIA AND LEBANON

Smoke rises in the southern suburbs of Beirut following reported attacks amid escalating conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, as seen in Baabda, Lebanon, on March 6, 2026. (Muhammad Azakir/Reuters)

The dismantling of the factory followed a high-profile decapitation attack against the leadership running these secret networks.

The IDF announced on Friday that casualties were found in an airstrike in Lebanon. Hezbollah’s chief explosives engineerAbed Harb, commander of Hezbollah’s engineering unit, after “attempting to harm” Israeli soldiers.

The military said Harb was a senior commander responsible for “numerous attacks against IDF soldiers” for decades.

In assessing the expertise required to conduct such operations, Reese observed: “It’s hard to tell over his 20-year career. He likely had a mix of internal and external training along with combat experience, given Iran’s well-known funding and support for Hezbollah and his experience fighting the Israelis in many conflicts.”

“The war was targeted as part of an effort to disrupt Hezbollah’s combat infrastructure and limit its ability to plan and execute major bombing operations against IDF and civilian targets.”

“The loss of Abed Harb to Hezbollah is not only a loss of leadership, but also a loss of institutional knowledge,” Reese added.

“His two decades of combat experience were important to Hezbollah not only because of his bomb-making abilities, but also because of how he understood the IDF, Hezbollah, and the lower ranks.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

“Harb, a member of Hezbollah since 2006, likely had significant skills in making and concealing bombs throughout his 20-year career, which would be a blow to Hezbollah’s operational capabilities and infrastructure,” Reese said.