On the night of Thursday, June 5, Israeli airstrikes hit the southern suburbs of Beirut, triggering mass panic and forcing thousands to flee as the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha approached. Lebanese officials accused Israel of breaching a ceasefire agreement brokered by the U.S. Around ten airstrikes targeted Dahiyeh, a densely populated area in southern Beirut, roughly 90 minutes after the Israeli military issued evacuation alerts for four locations in the neighborhood. This marked the fourth Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh since the November ceasefire, which ended a year-long conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah.

The ceasefire terms require Hezbollah to withdraw all fighters and military equipment from southern Lebanon and for all non-state armed groups to be disarmed nationwide. Israel stated the strikes aimed at "underground UAV manufacturing facilities" allegedly located within civilian areas in Dahiyeh, accusing Hezbollah of producing thousands of drones with Iranian support. Hezbollah did not immediately respond but has previously denied placing military assets in residential areas.

A Lebanese security official told Reuters that the Lebanese army had investigated a reported weapons storage site in Dahiyeh earlier in the day but found no evidence. When they tried to re-enter the area to investigate further and possibly prevent the attacks, Israeli warning strikes prevented their access. The bombing caused thick smoke to rise over the district, and the chaos forced many residents to flee on foot, leading to severe traffic congestion. Some people sought shelter with relatives or stayed outside overnight.

Additional Israeli strikes were also reported in the southern Lebanese village of Ain Qana following evacuation notices there. The timing of the attacks, just before Eid al-Adha, deepened public distress. The United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon said the strikes reignited fear across the population.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the attacks as clear violations of international agreements. Both Israel and Hezbollah have blamed each other for failing to uphold the terms of the truce, which has been under strain in recent months. Despite the ceasefire, Israel has repeatedly targeted southern Lebanon and continues to hold five strategic positions there. Past strikes on Beirut’s suburbs were mostly retaliatory following rocket fire from Lebanon, which Hezbollah denied involvement in.

The most recent conflict between Hezbollah and Israel began in October 2023, when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israeli military positions in solidarity with Hamas. Israel responded with an intense military campaign that killed thousands of Hezbollah fighters and eliminated key figures, including their leader Hassan Nasrallah.