Israel Strikes South Beirut, Captures Two Hezbollah Fighters

Israeli forces conducted multiple airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday evening and early Tuesday.

“Since then, Israel has carried out massive retaliation in Lebanon, which have killed more than a thousand and displaced more than a million”

France 24

These attacks marked the first strikes on Hezbollah's stronghold in the area for several days.

France 24

The strikes targeted various neighborhoods including Bir al-Abed, Ruwaiss, Haret Hreik, and Hadi Nasrallah Highway.

Local media reported that thick plumes of smoke were seen rising over the southern suburb.

Israeli military aircraft were heard flying over Beirut and its environs at low altitude during the attacks.

The Israeli army had urged residents to leave the area before launching the strikes.

The southern suburbs, considered a bastion of pro-Iranian Hezbollah, had not been targeted since Friday.

The Israeli army announced the capture of two elite members of Hezbollah's Radwan Force during operations in southern Lebanon.

According to Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee, the fighters had planned to launch an anti-tank missile at Israeli troops.

France 24

The militants also planned to carry out rocket fire toward towns in northern Israel.

The fighters surrendered after detecting significant Israeli army activity.

Israeli forces found them in possession of numerous weapons and combat equipment.

The captured fighters were transferred to Unit 504 for questioning.

Preliminary investigations indicated they had arrived from the Bekaa region into southern Lebanon.

The attacks occurred against a backdrop of escalating violence that has killed over 1,000 people.

“President Donald Trump expressed renewed optimism in the evening about the possibility of reaching an agreement with Iran”

L'Orient Today

More than one million Lebanese citizens have been displaced since the conflict intensified.

Lebanese authorities reported one person was killed in an Israeli strike on Hazmieh.

Hazmieh is an upscale neighborhood near Beirut's presidential palace and diplomatic missions.

Israel claimed this strike targeted a terrorist from the al-Qods Force, the external operations branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

Hezbollah announced a series of attacks against Israeli troops and bases in northern Israel and southern Lebanon.

These attacks included rocket and drone attacks at Naqoura, a coastal border town.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) confirmed its Naqoura headquarters had been hit by a projectile.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump about the ongoing conflict.

Both leaders discussed potential agreements with Iran during their conversation.

France 24

Netanyahu stated that Trump believes there is a chance to leverage military achievements to realize war objectives through agreement.

The Trump administration is reportedly weighing Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Ghalibaf is seen as a potential partner and even future leader who could negotiate with the United States.

These diplomatic developments come as the battle against Hezbollah continues to escalate.

The Israeli military emphasized that 'the battle against Hezbollah is only beginning,' according to Arabic-speaking spokeswoman Ella Waweya.

The capture of the two Hezbollah fighters adds to the growing list of Lebanese detainees held by Israel.

“Israel strikes south Beirut, claims it captured Hezbollah members In an earlier strike on Lebanon’s capital, Israel said it targeted a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ foreign operations arm Israeli strikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs on Monday, the first attack on the Hezbollah stronghold in days, as its military said it had captured two members of the Iran-backed group in southern Lebanon”

South China Morning Post

This has been a contentious issue in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Lebanon.

France 24

In January, Hezbollah MP Hussein al-Haj Hassan accused Israel of detaining 20 Lebanese prisoners.

Hassan claimed that 10 of these prisoners had been abducted on Lebanese soil after the ceasefire.

In February, the Lebanese Jamaa Islamiya group announced the capture of one of its leaders, Atwi Atwi, by Israel.

Atwi was captured in the south of the country according to the group.

These developments highlight the complex web of prisoner exchanges and detentions in the region.

Both sides use such captures as leverage in broader negotiations.