Tel Aviv, Israel – Axios reports that Israel notified the United States in advance of an airstrike targeting Beirut’s southern suburbs, in a new development reflecting direct coordination between the two sides prior to the military operation, which came in response to a Hezbollah rocket attack towards northern Israel.
Prior notification and coordination with Washington
According to sources cited by Axios, Israeli officials informed the administration of US President Donald Trump of their intention to carry out the strike before it occurred, stressing that the repeated attacks by Hezbollah constitute a violation of the ceasefire agreement, which, according to its narrative, gives Israel the right to respond to targets inside Beirut.
Targeting a site in the southern suburbs
Israeli sources stated that the airstrike targeted a Hezbollah command center in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a major stronghold of the group. Media reports indicated that the operation was carried out by two warplanes that launched multiple munitions at a single building in the Haret Hreik area near Mreijeh.
Human losses and an exchange of accusations
Official Lebanese sources reported that the raid resulted in the death of two people and the injury of 11 others in an initial count, amid ongoing search and rescue operations at the targeted site, while no final count has yet been issued.
American stance and calls for de-escalation
In the same context, US President Donald Trump called on Israel to carry out “more precise” strikes against Hezbollah targets, expressing his desire to avoid an escalation of the confrontation in Lebanon, and stressing the need for the operations to be “surgical,” as he put it.
Continued escalation on the Lebanese front
This development comes amid continued tension between Israel and Hezbollah, despite the ceasefire agreement announced in April, as the parties exchange accusations of violating the agreement, while limited military operations and mutual responses continue on both sides of the border, amid fears that the situation could escalate into a wider confrontation.
