Israel Air Force strikes Hezbollah weapons cache in Beirut neighborhood of Dahieh, after reports claiming Netanyahu had pledged to Biden to drastically reduce strikes in the Lebanese capital.
By World Israel News Staff
The Israel Air Force struck a Hezbollah position in Lebanon’s capital city Wednesday morning, marking the first time in six days the IDF has bombed targets in Beirut.
The strike, which involved multiple IAF fighter jets, hit an underground weapons cache used by Hezbollah in Beirut’s Dahieh neighborhood; a heavily Shi’ite enclave in the Lebanese capital where Hezbollah headquarters are located.
Israel warned civilians in the environs of the underground weapons storage facility, the IDF said, in an attempt to minimize collateral damage.
“You are located near facilities and interests belonging to Hezbollah, and the IDF will work against them in the near future,” IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee tweeted in Arabic before the strike.
“For your safety and the safety of your family members, you must evacuate this building.”
The tweet included a map highlighting the building under which the underground weapons cache was located.
In addition, roughly a dozen airstrikes were reported in the Nabatieh district of southern Lebanon Wednesday morning.
Israel’s last airstrike in Beirut was carried out last Thursday, after which, the IDF was reportedly instructed to refrain from carrying out attacks in the Lebanese capital city.
According to a report Monday night by Kan 11, the IDF received written instructions Friday morning not to carry out further strikes inside Beirut.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to deny claims that he had imposed restrictions on IDF action in Beirut, saying Monday that the IDF will “continue to strike Hezbollah without mercy everywhere in Lebanon, including Beirut,” on Tuesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the U.S. had guaranteed him that Israel would drastically curb strikes in Beirut.
Yedioth Aharanoth reported that Netanyahu had agreed to President Joe Biden’s demand during a telephone conversation last Wednesday to take whatever measures possible to reduce civilian casualties in Lebanon in general and Beirut in particular, and to limit the number of airstrikes in the Beirut metropolitan area.