Israel conducts first strike on Beirut since Hezbollah ceasefire
Israel has conducted the first air strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah is based, since a ceasefire with the group came into force in November.
The Israeli military said it had hit a drone storage unit used by Hezbollah on Friday, after issuing an evacuation warning that sparked panic.
The attack occurred hours after two rockets were fired from southern Lebanon towards northern Israel. Israel said it had intercepted one rocket, while the other failed to cross the border.
Hezbollah said it was not involved. Israel said the attack was a ceasefire "violation", while the office of Lebanon's president Joseph Aoun also said Israel's attack was a "violation of the agreement".
The strike came after the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for a building in the Hadath area in the Lebanese capital. Videos showed people leaving in panic. Schools were ordered to be evacuated.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on social media that the earlier rocket attack to which it was responding "constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon and poses a direct threat to the civilians of the State of Israel".
"The State of Lebanon bears responsibility for upholding the agreement," the IDF added.
FULL ARTICLE AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgr2rg8xyqzo
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