Beirut in Flames: Lebanon Plunged into War as Hezbollah Rockets Spark Israeli Retaliation and Government Crackdown
Lebanon was thrust into a devastating new war early Monday as Hezbollah launched its first rocket attack on Israel since the 2024 ceasefire, triggering massive Israeli airstrikes that killed at least 31 people and wounded 149, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The unprecedented escalation, a direct retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has shattered regional stability and prompted the Lebanese government to take the historic step of banning Hezbollah’s military activities.
Hezbollah’s Retaliation and Israel’s Swift Response
In the early hours of Monday, Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets and drones toward northern Israel, targeting the Mishmar al-Karmel missile defense site near Haifa. The group declared the attack “in defense of Lebanon and its people” and “in retaliation for the pure blood” of Khamenei, who was killed in a U.S.-Israeli strike on Tehran. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intercepted one rocket, allowing others to fall in open areas with no reported injuries.
Israel’s response was immediate and overwhelming. At 3:00 AM local time, Israeli jets launched a wave of precision airstrikes across Lebanon, heavily targeting Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut’s southern suburbs—particularly Dahiyeh—and areas in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. The IDF described the campaign as a “broad strike” aimed at degrading Hezbollah’s capabilities and eliminating senior leadership.
Civilian Toll and Mass Displacement
The human cost has been severe. The Health Ministry reported that 20 of the 31 dead were in Beirut’s southern suburbs, with another 11 killed in southern Lebanon. Videos and images from the scene showed buildings engulfed in flames, cars reduced to charred husks, and entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble. The IDF confirmed the killing of Hussein Makled, head of Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters, in the strikes. Unconfirmed reports suggest that senior figures, including Mohammad Raad, may also have been killed.
The strikes triggered mass evacuations, with families fleeing northward toward cities like Sidon. Highways were gridlocked, and dozens of schools in Beirut opened their doors as emergency shelters. The IDF issued evacuation orders for 55 villages in southern and eastern Lebanon, warning civilians to move at least one kilometer from areas near Hezbollah facilities.
Historic Government Crackdown on Hezbollah
In a move of extraordinary political significance, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced a total ban on Hezbollah’s military and security activities following an emergency cabinet meeting. Salam declared the group’s actions “illegal” and demanded it surrender its weapons to the state, restricting itself to political activities only.
“The rocket fire from southern Lebanon is an irresponsible and suspicious act that jeopardizes Lebanon’s security and provides Israel with pretexts for aggression,” Salam stated. “The decision of war and peace rests exclusively with the state.”
The Justice Minister ordered the immediate arrest of those involved in the rocket launches, marking a direct confrontation with the powerful Iran-backed group, which has long operated as a state-within-a-state.
Regional War Expands
This conflict is not isolated. The killing of Khamenei has ignited a wider regional war. Iran has launched drone and missile attacks on U.S. and Israeli targets across the Gulf, hitting a UK military base in Cyprus and an Aramco refinery in Saudi Arabia. The U.S. and Israel continue their campaign inside Iran, with loud explosions reported in Tehran.
The world watches as oil prices soar and global air travel faces massive disruptions. The fragile peace in the Middle East hangs by a thread, with Lebanon now at the epicenter of a potentially catastrophic conflict.
Photo: Independent