Israel strikes a Beirut suburb, saying it was targeting a Hezbollah drone depot
TEL AVIV, Israel — The Israel military launched a strike on suburban Beirut Friday, the first time it has struck Lebanon’s capital city area since it reached a November 2024 ceasefire with the militant group Hezbollah.
Israel said it was targeting a drone storage facility used by Hezbollah in the Dahiyeh suburb, after early morning rockets were fired from southern Lebanon toward northern Israel.
The Iran-backed Lebanese militant group denied Friday’s rocket fire, as well as a previous attack on March 22, and said it was committed to the ceasefire. No other group has claimed responsibility.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said if there was no peace in Israel’s northern communities, there would be no peace in Beirut either.
The Israeli military warned residents to evacuate Dahiyeh’s Hadath neighborhood prior to the strike.
Plumes of smoke rose from Beirut’s southern suburbs. Between the evacuation warning and the attack, Umm Abbas, 60, told NPR by phone from Hadath: “There’s panic. There are two schools nearby filled with kids. People are screaming left and right, people are crying.”
It was not immediately clear if there were casualties in the capital. But Lebanese officials have reported 18 people killed in Israeli drone, air and artillery strikes over the past week.
United Nations peacekeepers tell NPR they have tallied thousands of ceasefire violations, most of them by Israel.
The fighting comes as Israel has renewed its military offensive in the Gaza Strip that started after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
Alex Leff reported from Tel Aviv, Lauren Frayer and Jawad Rizkallah from Damascus. Yanal Jabarin contributed reporting from Jerusalem.
Mexico: The cumbia DJs of the streets
One of the most listened-to genres in the Americas, photographers and storytellers Karla Gachet and Ivan Kashinsky document cumbia in Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina and the United States.
AI’s getting better at faking crowds. Here’s why that’s cause for concern
Odd fingers and faces in the crowd of a recent Will Smith concert video led to suspicions of AI. But AI is improving fast, and there are serious implications for how "fake" crowds might be coopted.
Sarah Mullally named first woman Archbishop of Canterbury
Sarah Mullally has been named as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the first woman to be chosen to lead the world's 85 million Anglicans.
One of 2 victims in Manchester synagogue attack was accidentally shot by police
Greater Manchester Police named Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66 as the victims of Thursday's attack. Three more remain hospitalized in serious condition.
What to know about former U.K. leader Tony Blair, tapped by Trump for postwar Gaza role
As Britain's prime minister, Tony Blair succeeded in negotiating peace in Northern Ireland in 1998. Five years later, he joined the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq — sullying his reputation ever since.
A public broadcaster’s path after losing U.S. funds: Youth sports and less local news
South Dakota Public Broadcasting says there's an ironic result to President Trump's successful attack on public media: It will have to rely more on NPR programs.
