Eid al-Adha under fire: Israel's Beirut strikes seen as signal to Washington

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi  

A day ahead of Eid al-Adha, Israel launched a series of surprise airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, drawing condemnation from Lebanese political and military leaders who accused Tel Aviv of deliberately undermining regional stability and defying the ceasefire monitoring committee in place since late last year.
 
The escalation began Thursday afternoon when the ceasefire monitoring committee contacted the Lebanese Army, requesting an inspection of alleged Hezbollah military targets in the Mrayjeh neighborhood. The army responded by deploying a unit to the site, which found no evidence of any military activity and provided photographic proof to the committee.
 
Hours later, at 8:30 p.m., Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued a public warning, threatening strikes on three locations unrelated to Mrayjeh. The Lebanese Army immediately informed the committee of its intent to inspect the new sites to avert the attack. Despite U.S. intervention urging Israel to hold back, Tel Aviv signaled its intent to strike.

A Lebanese military team reached one of the targeted buildings and confirmed it was free of weapons but was forced to retreat after Israel began firing warning shots. The strikes followed soon after.

Israel claimed the targets were Hezbollah drone storage facilities, a justification swiftly rejected by Lebanese officials. The Lebanese Army issued a rare warning, threatening to suspend cooperation with the ceasefire monitoring committee over Israel's refusal to coordinate or adhere to the ceasefire agreement.
 
Amid mounting political contacts, the Lebanese presidency issued a sharply worded statement from Baabda Palace during a visit by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

President Joseph Aoun described the assault as a message from Israel to the United States, expressing discontent with Washington's regional policies through what he called "Beirut's mailbox of blood and civilian suffering."

The presidency implied Israel was reacting to U.S. positions on Iran, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria, using Beirut as a proxy for its frustration.

Meanwhile, questions swirled around the outcome of recent talks between U.N. Special Coordinator Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and Israeli officials. Some Lebanese political circles speculated that Israel could be using these strikes to pressure Lebanon into a security arrangement under fire.

Lebanon's leadership reiterated its longstanding stance: peace can only be achieved through a two-state solution, in line with the Arab consensus. Prime Minister Salam is expected to reinforce this position at the United Nations on June 17 during a session focused on the Palestinian issue.

According to sources close to the group, Hezbollah believes Israel's broader goal is to sign peace agreements with Jordan and Egypt and create a weapons-free buffer zone stretching from Syria to Lebanon.

Observers fear the situation could escalate further, particularly as Lebanon prepares to initiate a process to disarm refugee camps. Some also suggest that Israel's strikes are an attempt to divert attention from internal political turmoil in both the U.S. and Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces growing domestic pressure.