IDF Strikes Hezbollah Missile Storage Facility in Beirut

Latest Developments

Strike Follows Warning: The Israeli Air Force struck a Hezbollah precision-guided missile storage facility embedded in Beirut’s southern Dahiyeh district on April 27. The strike followed an advance evacuation warning issued by the IDF to civilians in the area, along with two preliminary “roof-knock” warning strikes. The IDF stated that “Hezbollah’s storage of missiles in this infrastructure site constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon, exploits the Lebanese civilian population as human shields and poses a threat to the State of Israel and its civilians.”
Lebanese President Condemns Strike: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the Israeli strike and urged the United States and France — both guarantors of the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel — to pressure Israel to cease military operations in Lebanon. Aoun warned that continued Israeli military actions could “undermine stability” in the region.
Third Strike on Beirut in 2 Months: The strike was the third carried out by the Israeli military in Beirut in the past two months. On March 28, the IDF targeted a Hezbollah drone storage facility in Dahiyeh, also issuing evacuation warnings beforehand. Another strike also in Dahiyeh on April 1, targeted Hassan Bdair, a member of Hezbollah’s Unit 3900 and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, who had reportedly assisted Hamas in planning a “significant and imminent terror attack against Israeli civilians.”

FDD Expert Response

“Before October 8, 2023, it was unlikely that Israel would have conducted such a strike in Beirut’s southern suburb due to concerns over triggering a significant conflict. However, highly successful Israeli military operations against Hezbollah during the war have altered the status quo, providing Israel with greater operational freedom to eliminate threats from the Lebanon-based actor. Israel has since effectively leveraged its strengthened position to impede Hezbollah’s efforts to rearm, reorganize, and resume attacks.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“Hezbollah’s officials have made clear, in words, that the group refuses to disarm. Yesterday’s strike underscores Hezbollah’s insistence on retaining its private arsenal, in deeds, and the terrorist group’s ongoing efforts to rebuild its military strength by exploiting the Lebanese government’s failures to properly enforce the ceasefire deal.” — David Daoud, Senior Fellow

“While the Lebanese government dangles the promise of dialogue to disarm Hezbollah north of the Litani River, the Iran-backed terror group is using the delay to restock its weapons in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Israel must continue acting across all of Lebanon now before Hezbollah fully rearms and the threat grows even deadlier.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst