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Israel launched a series of air strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs Thursday night, targeting what it claimed were Hezbollah's drone production facilities. The strikes came on the eve of Eid Al Adha, a significant religious celebration in Islam. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) stated that Hezbollah, backed by Iranian funds, was producing "thousands" of drones in the area.

Despite an existing six-month ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, these strikes were carried out following evacuation warnings for several buildings in the southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold. Crowds of residents, alerted by the warnings, evacuated densely populated neighborhoods, causing severe traffic congestion just before the smoke from the bombings started to rise.

Lebanese officials were quick to condemn the strikes. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described the attack as a "systematic and deliberate" assault on Lebanon's security and economy, made even more grievous by its timing before a significant holiday and tourist season. President Joseph Aoun called the air strikes a "flagrant violation of an international accord," highlighting the religious significance of the timing.

The IDF justified the strikes by accusing Hezbollah of a blatant breach of understandings with Israel, citing the group's extensive use of drones against Israel. Hours before the strikes, IDF Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee had called for residents of specific neighborhoods, including Hadath, Haret Hreik, and Borj el-Barajneh, to evacuate, stating that they were near Hezbollah infrastructure.

This incident is part of a broader, long-term conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The two sides have had a history of cross-border hostilities, with a notably intense period before the ongoing Israel-Gaza war resulting in significant casualties and displacement in Lebanon. Though a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was reached in late November, allowing the Lebanese army to take control of southern Lebanon, it did not include Hezbollah.

Israel has conducted other air strikes in Lebanon alleging Hezbollah links since the November truce. In April, Israeli forces targeted a Hezbollah missile store in the same region of Dahieh. Other strikes earlier that month left a Hezbollah official and three others dead, actions condemned by Lebanon's government as violations of the truce.

Hezbollah has maintained its militant stance, launching attacks in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza following the Hamas incursion into Israel on October 7, 2023. Meanwhile, Israel has accused Syria of involvement in projectiles fired into the Golan Heights, further complicating the regional conflict.