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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Israel launched an airstrike on Beirut on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, marking the first attack on the Lebanese capital since a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah was announced last month, raising concerns over the fragile truce between the two sides.
The strike targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, commonly known as Dahieh, an area regarded as a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group. Images circulating online showed large fires and severe damage to at least one building following the attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he personally approved the operation, which he claimed targeted a commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force.
Reuters reported that Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the strike in a joint statement. Israeli media later reported that the commander had been killed, although there was no immediate confirmation from either the Israeli military or Hezbollah.
Local Lebanese media reported that members of the Radwan Force were holding a meeting when the strike occurred at around 8 p.m. local time.
The attack was the first to hit Beirut’s southern suburbs since US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon on April 16. The ceasefire later received a three-week extension on April 23 as part of broader efforts linked to the ongoing US-Iran truce negotiations.
Despite the agreement, cross-border attacks between Israel and Hezbollah have continued. Israel has carried out frequent strikes in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah has launched rockets and drones toward Israeli positions.
Israel said its military operations aim to prevent Hezbollah fighters from operating near the border and to establish what it describes as a Hezbollah-free security zone in southern Lebanon.
Israeli forces remain deployed in areas south of the Litani River, while Israel earlier on Wednesday ordered residents to evacuate several villages north of the river, potentially signaling an expansion of its military operations.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said an Israeli airstrike on the town of Zelaya in southern Lebanon killed four people, including two women and an elderly man.
The Israeli military also said Hezbollah had launched explosive drones and rockets toward Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, injuring two troops. It further claimed to have intercepted a hostile aircraft before it crossed into Israeli territory.
According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, more than 2,700 people have been killed in Lebanon since the conflict escalated on March 2. Israel says 17 soldiers and two civilians have been killed on its side during the same period.
As reported by the BBC, many villages in southern Lebanon have been heavily damaged or destroyed, while rights groups have accused Israel of actions that could amount to war crimes. The Lebanese Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its casualty figures.
Meanwhile, Dahieh has remained largely deserted since the ceasefire was announced, with many residents reportedly unwilling to return due to fears of renewed Israeli attacks.
Diplomatic talks between Israel and Lebanon have continued with US support, although discussions have largely remained at the ambassadorial level.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said it was premature to discuss any high-level meeting between Lebanese and Israeli leaders.
“Our minimum demand is a timetable for Israel’s withdrawal,” Salam said, according to Reuters. He added that Lebanon seeks peace rather than normalization with Israel and is working on plans to place all weapons under state control, a move widely interpreted as part of efforts to disarm Hezbollah.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun also said this week that conditions were not suitable for a meeting with Netanyahu, stressing that Israeli attacks must stop before further political engagement could take place.
Netanyahu, however, defended the strike on Beirut, stating: “No terrorist is immune — Israel’s long arm will reach every enemy and murderer.”
The renewed strike on Beirut has added fresh uncertainty to the already fragile ceasefire, as fears grow that continued exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah could push the conflict into a broader regional escalation.
Read: Foreign Ministry: Indonesians in Lebanon Safe Amid Hezbollah-Israel Conflict
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