BEIRUT (Azat TV) – Israeli warplanes launched extensive airstrikes across Lebanon, including multiple targets in the capital Beirut and its southern Dahiyeh suburb, on Monday, March 2, 2026, killing at least 31 people and wounding 149. This aggressive Israeli response followed a barrage of rockets and drones fired by Hezbollah at northern Israel in the early hours of Monday, marking the Lebanese group’s direct entry into the broader conflict sparked by the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The escalation has drawn Lebanon deeper into regional hostilities, prompting widespread displacement and urgent calls for de-escalation from international bodies.
Hezbollah’s Attack Triggers Israeli Retaliation in Beirut
In the early hours of Monday, sirens blared across northern Israel, including the city of Haifa and surrounding areas, as Hezbollah launched rockets and drones from Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that the attacks originated from Lebanon, with Hezbollah quickly claiming responsibility. The terror group stated its actions were ‘revenge for the blood of the Supreme Leader of the Muslims, Ali Khamenei,’ who was killed in a joint Israeli-US assault on Iran on Saturday. Hezbollah claimed to have targeted a missile defense site south of Haifa, though Israeli authorities reported no injuries or damage, with one rocket intercepted and at least two others falling in open areas. Additionally, air defenses shot down at least two suspected drones in the Upper Galilee, according to military sources reported by The Times of Israel.
Following Hezbollah’s engagement, which marked its first attack on Israel since a US-brokered ceasefire in November 2024, the IDF launched an immediate and extensive retaliatory campaign. Waves of airstrikes hit Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, with particular intensity in Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, a prominent Hezbollah stronghold. According to Al Jazeera and RFI, Lebanon’s health ministry confirmed at least 31 fatalities and 149 wounded as a result of the Israeli strikes. The IDF confirmed targeting Hezbollah headquarters and infrastructure, as well as a vehicle carrying two operatives from the group’s elite Radwan Force in the Kfar Dajjal area. The military also indicated that ‘senior’ members of the terror group were targeted in Beirut.
IDF Signals Prolonged ‘Offensive Campaign’ Against Hezbollah
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir announced that the military had initiated an ‘offensive campaign’ against Hezbollah, warning that it would likely last ‘several days.’ Speaking after Hezbollah’s attacks, Zamir stated, ‘We are not just on the defense, now we go on the offense,’ and emphasized the need for strong defensive readiness and continuous offensive preparedness. The IDF explicitly stated it would ‘not allow the organization to pose a threat to the State of Israel and harm the residents of the north,’ according to The Times of Israel. The Israeli military also issued evacuation warnings to Lebanese civilians in more than 50 villages across southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley, advising them to move at least 1,000 meters away from their homes for safety.
The Israeli military accused Hezbollah of ‘destroying the state of Lebanon’ and held the group responsible for the escalation. This sentiment was echoed by Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who sharply rebuked the perpetrators of the rocket fire, describing it as an ‘irresponsible and suspicious act that endangers Lebanon’s security and safety and gives Israel pretexts to continue its attacks on it.’ While avoiding direct mention of Hezbollah, Salam stated, ‘We won’t let the country be dragged into new adventures, and we’ll take any necessary action to prosecute those responsible and protect the Lebanese.’ Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated that ‘the decision of war and peace rests solely with the Lebanese state.’ Salam called for an emergency meeting of the Lebanese government to address the crisis, RFI reported.
Mass Displacement and International Calls for De-escalation
The intense Israeli raids and the subsequent evacuation warnings triggered a large and chaotic movement of people fleeing their homes across Lebanon. Tens of thousands of residents from Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern Lebanon sought refuge, with many heading further north, causing heavy traffic along coastal highways. Schools and universities remained closed on Monday, and residents rushed to petrol stations and supermarkets to stock up on supplies, anticipating a prolonged conflict. Public schools in Beirut and its suburbs were converted into shelters for displaced families, according to RFI. Lebanese authorities indicated that the country has sufficient fuel and food reserves to last two months.
The current escalation deepens an already severe economic and political crisis in Lebanon, a country that had been attempting to disarm Hezbollah since the 2024 ceasefire. Lebanon has previously appealed to the international community to pressure Israel regarding alleged violations of its sovereignty, including filing a complaint with the United Nations documenting over 2,000 Israeli violations in the last three months of 2025. Internationally, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot called for ‘Lebanon to be spared from this regional escalation,’ emphasizing the need to protect the country from being further embroiled in wider regional conflicts.
Hezbollah’s decision to directly engage Israel, despite pleas from the Lebanese government and its own reported weakening since the 2024 conflict, marks a significant and dangerous turning point for Lebanon, risking a deeper and potentially devastating confrontation with Israel.