• Israeli airstrikes target Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure in Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley.
  • The escalation follows Hezbollah's missile and drone attacks on northern Israel, including near Haifa, on March 2, 2026.
  • Lebanon's government condemns Hezbollah's actions as irresponsible, calling an emergency meeting amid fears of wider conflict.

Israeli forces have launched airstrikes against Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon, including in Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley, according to statements from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The military action, which began on March 2, 2026, targets senior operatives, infrastructure, and air defense sites, in response to Hezbollah's missile and drone attacks from Lebanon into northern Israel earlier that day.

Hezbollah's attacks, which included strikes near Haifa, were described by sources as retaliation for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a joint Israeli-US assault on Iran. This marks the first violation of a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that had been in place since November 2024, escalating tensions amid Israel's ongoing war with Iran, with Hezbollah acting as an Iranian proxy.

In Lebanon, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the Hezbollah rocket fire as "irresponsible" and endangering national security, calling an emergency government meeting while asserting state control over war decisions. President Joseph Aoun emphasized that war and peace decisions rest with the Lebanese state, according to people familiar with the matter. Efforts to maintain stability have hit a snag, with the government struggling to rein in Hezbollah's actions despite public pleas for restraint.

The airstrikes prompted evacuations in Beirut, with residents fleeing on foot and by car, clogging roads; schools and shelters opened in the city for those from southern and eastern Hezbollah strongholds. Lebanon issued evacuation warnings for dozens of villages, though no immediate casualty figures were available from the health ministry. In northern Israel, sirens sounded but no injuries were reported from the rockets, which mostly fell in open areas, according to initial assessments.

This escalation follows recent precursors, including Hezbollah downing an Israeli drone on February 26, 2026, prompting Israeli strikes in eastern Lebanon, and mutual attacks in July 2024 and September 2024 that killed commanders and civilians. Without a deal to de-escalate, the situation could drag Lebanon into a full-scale war, despite government opposition, and risks widening the Israel-Iran conflict, potentially involving US forces.

International leaders have called for restraint amid fears of a broader Middle East war, with analysts noting that Hezbollah's vows of confrontation, despite Lebanese government efforts, raise prospects of renewed ground incursions similar to those in 2024. The conflict, which began on October 8, 2023, with Hezbollah rocket attacks in solidarity with Hamas' assault on Israel, has already led to prolonged cross-border exchanges, displacements, and a brief Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 2024—the largest escalation since the 2006 Lebanon War.

Economically, the escalation risks disrupting Lebanon's fragile economy and Israel's northern regions, already strained by prior displacements and infrastructure damage from rockets. While no specific financial data is available yet, renewed conflict threatens the 2024 ceasefire's stability, potentially impacting regional trade, energy markets, and global oil prices due to Middle East tensions. Attempts to reach Hezbollah representatives for comment were unsuccessful, and the IDF has not provided further details on the scale of the strikes.

Short-term, risks include further Hezbollah retaliation and Israeli strikes, with experts warning that this could undermine Lebanese state authority over Hezbollah in the long term. The situation remains fluid, with ongoing monitoring of cross-border activities and diplomatic channels active to prevent a wider outbreak.