Israeli Military Strikes Beirut Suburbs as US-Iran Deal Nears Finalization

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military launched airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday, targeting what it described as Hezbollah infrastructure. The attack came just as the United States and Iran were reportedly on the verge of finalizing a deal to end their wider conflict, raising fears that the agreement could be derailed before it is even signed.

Plumes of thick smoke rose over the Lebanese capital following the strikes, which targeted the densely populated Dahiyeh neighborhood, a known Hezbollah stronghold. An Associated Press photographer at the scene said a five-story apartment building with shops on the ground floor was hit. The two lower levels sustained the most severe damage. Residents, many of whom had only recently returned to their homes after weeks of relative calm, were seen fleeing the area with bags and children in hand.

The Israeli military confirmed the operation in a joint statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, saying it was a direct response to Hezbollah’s earlier violation of a fragile ceasefire.

“The IDF has now attacked terrorist targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the Dahiyeh neighborhood of Beirut, in response to Hezbollah’s firing into Israeli territory,” the statement read. Earlier Sunday, the military reported that Hezbollah had launched three projectiles toward communities in northern Israel, releasing footage that showed an audible boom followed by a column of smoke rising above a tree line. Israel described the launch as a “blatant ceasefire violation.”

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah on the Israeli strikes, though the group later claimed responsibility for firing missiles and drones at Israeli troops stationed in southern Lebanon.

Threat to US-Iran Negotiations

Sunday’s escalation threatens to unravel intensive diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran. US and Pakistani officials had forecast that a deal to end the more than three-month-long conflict could be signed as early as Sunday, though the latest violence has cast doubt on that timeline.

According to sources familiar with the talks, the proposed agreement has already been a source of deep disappointment for the Israeli government. Iran has long insisted that any broader deal with the United States must include a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon. However, Israeli officials fear the emerging terms may leave Hezbollah’s military capabilities intact along its northern border.

A Pattern of Escalation

The last time Israel struck Beirut’s suburbs, just over a week ago, it triggered the most serious escalation of direct fighting between Iran and Israel since a tenuous ceasefire took hold on April 7. That exchange saw Iran-backed forces retaliate with barrages of rockets, pushing the region to the brink of all-out war.

The current round of hostilities traces back to March 2, when Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel, two days after the US and Israel conducted joint strikes against Iranian positions  an operation that effectively sparked the wider Middle East conflict now in its fourth month. Since then, Israeli ground troops have pushed deeper into Lebanese territory than at any point in more than 25 years.

What Comes Next

As US and Iranian negotiators scramble to salvage the deal, Lebanese security sources described Sunday’s Israeli strike as a “targeted operation” involving at least two precision missiles, aimed at a specific Hezbollah figure or facility  though Israel has not disclosed the exact target.

With both sides accusing the other of ceasefire violations, the window for diplomacy is rapidly closing. For now, Beirut’s southern suburbs remain on edge, and the prospect of a US-Iran deal ending the war appears more uncertain than ever.

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