Israel Bombs Beirut Citing Hezbollah Drones as US-Iran Near Deal
Israel bombed Lebanon’s capital in what it said was retaliation for drone incursions by Hezbollah, escalating tensions as the US and the militia’s patron Iran
Israel bombed Lebanon’s capital in what it said was retaliation for drone incursions by Hezbollah, escalating tensions as the US and the militia’s patron Iran near an interim peace deal. At least one person was killed and four wounded in Sunday’s airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon’s state-run News Agency reported. The Israeli military said it targeted a Hezbollah command center, having earlier accused the Lebanese group of sending three drones into Israel.
The strike occurred with the US and Iran still locked in negotiations on a pact to end the war Washington and Israel launched on the Islamic Republic more than three months ago. Tehran has demanded any permanent cessation of fighting also apply to Lebanon — a condition Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he won’t accept until Hezbollah is disarmed and no longer firing on Israel. US President Donald Trump has suggested an interim peace deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz might be signed as soon as Sunday, although the Islamic Republic has cast doubt on this.
In parallel to its joint offensive against Iran, Israel invaded Lebanon with the stated goal of pushing Hezbollah far from the border. Its troops and tanks now occupy a zone as much as 10 kilometers deep, displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians. Over the weekend, Israel’s military said it carried out a surge of strikes against Hezbollah targets in that area. “The IDF does not intend to withdraw,” Miri Regev, a member of Netanyahu’s security cabinet, told Galey Israel radio.
“We’re not allowing a linkage between the theaters of operations.” With assistance from Sara Gharaibeh. ©2026 Bloomberg L.P.
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