Israel conducted airstrikes in Beirut targeting what it referred to as militant “infrastructure” in the Lebanese capital, while the U.S. cautioned about potential attacks on universities by Iran amidst the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Israel’s incursion into southern Lebanon aimed to eliminate all Lebanese villages in the border region in a battle against Hezbollah, a militant group backed by Iran, escalating the conflict stemming from the U.S.-Israeli confrontation with Iran.
The Israeli military issued warnings to residents in seven neighborhoods in the southern suburbs of Beirut to evacuate, stating imminent airstrikes. Reuters journalists reported hearing three loud explosions in the city during sunset on Friday, coinciding with Good Friday observances by both Muslim and Christian communities in Lebanon.
Lebanese media confirmed that the strikes struck the southern suburbs, with no immediate reports of casualties or damage. Israel’s military claimed to be targeting “terror infrastructure in Beirut,” without providing specific details. Israel’s plan included occupying southern Lebanon up to the Litani River to establish a “security zone” for the protection of its northern residents.
Over a million people have fled the area and other parts of Lebanon, citing exhaustion from repeated conflicts. The conflict intensified after Hezbollah’s attack on Israel on March 2 in solidarity with Iran following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, leading to Iranian strikes on Israel, U.S. bases, and Gulf states.
Iran issued threats against U.S. universities in the region in retaliation for attacks on its own universities. As a precaution, the American University of Beirut shifted classes online for two days. The U.S. embassy in Beirut cautioned about potential attacks on Lebanese universities by Iran and its affiliated terrorist groups, reiterating warnings for U.S. citizens to leave Lebanon.
More than 1,300 casualties have been reported from Israeli airstrikes, with approximately one-fifth of Lebanon’s population displaced. Despite Lebanese troops withdrawing from the area to avoid clashes with Israeli forces, tens of thousands of residents in southern Lebanon, including 9,000 Lebanese Christians, have chosen to remain in their homes amidst advancing military operations.
In a separate incident on Friday, three peacekeepers from the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were injured, two seriously, in an explosion near the border in southern Lebanon. The cause of the explosion remained unknown, with no immediate response from the Israeli military. Earlier in the week, three UNIFIL peacekeepers had lost their lives in a separate incident.
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has resulted in significant displacement and casualties, with multiple parties involved in escalating tensions and violence.
