IDF strikes Beirut, southern Lebanon after 2 rockets fired at northern Israel
First airstrikes on Lebanese capital since ceasefire announced in November; one rocket intercepted, second failed to cross border; Hezbollah says it is not behind rocket attack
Two rockets were fired at northern Israel from Lebanon on Friday morning, leading the military to carry out strikes first in southern Lebanon and later in the capital, Beirut, a first since the November ceasefire went into effect.
According to the military, one of the rockets was intercepted and the other fell short inside Lebanese territory, as rocket sirens sounded in the city of Kiryat Shmona and the nearby communities of Tel Hai, Margaliot, and Misgav Am.
It was the second attack within the past week, after three rockets were fired at Metula on March 22, the first such incident since the November 27 ceasefire ended over a year of fighting with the Hezbollah terror group.
A senior source within Hezbollah told the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen news outlet that the terror group has no connection to the rocket fire on Friday.
The source claimed that the recent rocket fire from Lebanon is “part of a suspicious attempt to fabricate pretexts for the continuation of the Israeli aggression on Lebanon.”
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam issued a statement calling on the military to “uncover those behind the irresponsible rocket fire that threatens Lebanon’s stability and security,” and take them into custody.
Following the attack, the IDF said Friday morning it was carrying out a wave of strikes on Hezbollah targets in the south of the country, and later that afternoon brought down a building it claimed was used by the terror group’s drone unit in southern Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold known as Dahiyeh.
لحظة إستهداف المبنى المهدد في #الضاحية_الجنوبية لبيروت pic.twitter.com/njhue61H9G
— هنا لبنان (@thisislebnews) March 28, 2025
According to the IDF, the building struck in Beriut was used by Hezbollah as a drone storage facility. It belonged to Hezbollah’s aerial forces, known as Unit 127, the military said. The unit is responsible for explosive-laden drone attacks on Israel and flying surveillance drones to collect intelligence.
“Hezbollah has placed its terror infrastructure in the heart of the civilian population. This is another example of the Hezbollah terror organization’s cynical use of Lebanese citizens as human shields,” an IDF statement said.
מטוסי קרב של חיל-האוויר תקפו בשעות האחרונות מפקדות, תשתיות צבאיות, משגרים ומחבלים של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה בדרום לבנון. pic.twitter.com/H6QPAUr9Vr
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) March 28, 2025
The IDF issued an evacuation warning for the building and the surrounding area before the strike and also reportedly carried out several warning shots in the area before dropping larger munitions that brought down the building.
It marked the first time that the IDF issued warnings ahead of strikes in Beirut since November 27, when it last struck Hezbollah sites in the Lebanese capital, hours before a ceasefire took effect.
The strike on Friday came in response to the morning rocket fire, which the military said was a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement.
After the rocket attack, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Friday morning that “the fate of Kiryat Shmona is the same as the fate of Beirut,” in a threat to the Lebanese capital.
He said that without peace in Israel’s northern border communities, “there will be no peace in Beirut either.”
“The Lebanese government bears direct responsibility for any attacks on the Galilee,” he charged. “We will ensure the security of the residents of the Galilee, and will act forcefully against any threat.”
According to Hezbollah’s Al-Manar news outlet, targeted areas in southern Lebanon included the outskirts of Qaaqaait al-Jisr and the town of Khiam in the Nabatieh area.
Earlier this week, a Lebanese official said Lebanese leaders have been in intensive contact with Washington and Paris to prevent Israel from bombing Beirut after the rocket fire on March 22.
Israel has continued to carry out strikes on Hezbollah operatives and members of affiliated terror groups since a ceasefire in November, following two months of open war aimed at ending rocket attacks from the Iran-backed group that plagued the north for nearly a year.
The terror group started firing rockets and drones at Israeli communities and military posts on October 8, 2023, in support of fellow terror group Hamas, which had invaded Israel from the Gaza Strip a day earlier.
Israel says it targets Hezbollah military sites that violate the ceasefire agreement.
Under the ceasefire, Hezbollah was obligated to pull its forces north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from the Israeli border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south, while the Lebanese army deployed to control the area.
Israel, in parallel, was obligated to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon, though it retains the right to respond to immediate threats.
Following an initial postponement, with US and Lebanese approval, of the deadline to withdraw, Israel pulled all its troops out of Lebanon in February, except five strategic posts along the border.
Agencies contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.