Netanyahu orders strikes on Beirut's Dahiyeh despite US-mediated ceasefire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday ordered military strikes in Beirut's Dahiyeh district, claiming the attacks responded to what he called repeated ceasefire violations by Hezbollah. Netanyahu said he and Defense Minister Israel Katz directed the army to hit what they termed "terrorist targets" in the densely populated southern suburb of the Lebanese capital.

Ceasefire terms defied

The order came in defiance of a US-mediated ceasefire that entered into force on April 17 and was subsequently extended through early July. The truce was brokered after months of cross-border fire that had pushed Lebanon and Israel toward wider confrontation. Netanyahu told reporters the strikes were necessary because Hezbollah had breached the agreement multiple times since its inception.

Civilian toll mounts

The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that Israeli attacks since March 2 have killed more than 3,400 people across Lebanon. Dahiyeh, a predominantly Shia suburb and long considered a Hezbollah stronghold, has repeatedly come under Israeli bombardment during the current conflict. The area houses hundreds of thousands of civilians alongside the group's political and military offices. Israeli officials have maintained that strikes on the district target only military infrastructure, though Lebanese authorities dispute this characterization.