Smoke billows over Beirut’s southern suburbs following Israeli strike after issuing an evacuation warning for the area, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon, March 28, 2025. (Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir)
The Israel Defense Forces on Friday destroyed a Hezbollah target in the group’s Beirut stronghold in the Dahiyeh neighborhood, the first such strike in several months.
On Friday morning, the IDF identified the launch of two rockets from Lebanese territory at northern Israel, triggering sirens in the city of Kiryat Shmona and several neighboring towns.
Israeli Air Defenses shot down one of the rockets, while the other fell short in Lebanese territory. Hezbollah quickly denied responsibility.
Local leaders in northern Israel reacted with outrage and criticized the Israeli government, while Defense Minister Israel Katz reiterated his threat that there would be no peace in Beirut, “If there is no peace in Kiryat Shmona and the Galilee communities.”
“The Lebanese government bears direct responsibility for any shooting at the Galilee. We will not allow a return to the reality of October 7. We will ensure the security of the residents of the Galilee and will act forcefully against any threat,” Katz declared.
Red alerts as of 09:00 today, March 28, 2025:
🔸 Red alerts: 4 (4 rocket alerts, 0 UAV alerts) in 1 regions.
🔸 Unique areas with sirens: 4⭕️ Confrontation Line — Tel Hai, Kiryat Shmona, Misgav Am, Margaliot pic.twitter.com/kuW9qEzjVo
— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) March 28, 2025
In an immediate reaction, the IDF began shelling targets in the Nabatieh area.
Several hours later, the IDF called on residents of the Dahiyeh to evacuate the surroundings of a building beloging to Hezbollah.
Footage on social media showed hundreds of civilians fleeing the area in panic. After the IDF reportedly conducted three “roof-knock” warning strikes, an airstrike leveled the building.
🚨And here we go, IDF strikes Beirut https://t.co/zHsmPdusiU pic.twitter.com/doS4fop7EA
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) March 28, 2025
Similar to last Saturday, the Lebanese terror group, once again, denied responsibility for the rocket launches, claiming they were “part of a suspicious attempt to fabricate pretexts for the continuation of the Israeli aggression on Lebanon.”
“Hezbollah respects the cease-fire agreement,” the terror group claimed.
In an interview with the Saudi al-Sharq channel, officials from the Lebanese Armed Forces estimated that the two rockets launched on Friday were of the same type as those fired the previous week. They also noted that the launchers have not yet been located.
To date, Lebanese officials have neither released the findings of their investigation into the most recent rocket launch nor identified the group responsible.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hezbollah was required to evacuate all its operatives and remove its infrastructure from southern Lebanon while the Lebanese army deployed in the same area.
Nevertheless, the IDF has repeatedly struck Hezbollah positions and has attempted to remove remaining weapons and munitions.
Kiryat Shmona has just reopened its schools after 16 months of near-incessant fire by Hezbollah, and is trying to convince its residents to return home.
The town, with a population of more than 20,000 and located near the Lebanese border, was largely evacuated after Hezbollah launched an unprovoked massive attack on northern Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, in solidarity with Gaza.
Avichai Stern, the mayor of Kiryat Shmona, told Ynet News, “Yesterday, we worked hard to persuade residents who hadn’t returned to come back home. Today, we’re working to convince those who have returned to stay. That’s what a shifting reality looks like. The key point is: Hezbollah is deterred. Is the cabinet meeting today, or does it not matter since it’s “just” Kiryat Shmona?”
Lobby 1701, a group representing the residents of the north, said, “The Israeli government has reverted to an October 6 mindset, normalizing rocket fire toward communities along the confrontation line [Israel’s border with Lebanon].”
The group warned that the Galilee would remain empty and its residents evacuated unless the government restores security.
“Northern residents sacrificed a year and a half away from home, only to return to an even harsher economic and security reality. This is the government’s hour of testing – in the face of Hezbollah, in the face of the residents, and in the face of the entire Israeli public,” Lobby 1701 stated.
“Without fulfilling the promise to change the security situation, there will be no resettlement in the Galilee, and the many thousands who have yet to return to their homes will remain unwilling to do so.”
