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Israel on Friday bombed Beirut for the first time since a fragile ceasefire was reached with Hezbollah in November, after earlier ordering people who were within 300 metres of a building next to a school in the Lebanese capital's southern suburbs to immediately flee.
The strikes flattened a building in the neighbourhood of Hadath, seriously injuring one person. An Israeli drone could be heard operating loudly above Beirut. Residents of south Beirut fled in panic, while gunfire could be heard as locals shot in the air, urging people to leave. Schools in the area, which were packed with children, were also evacuated.
At least one of the first strikes happened as the children were still fleeing the school, people on the ground said.
Thick black smoke billowed into the sky and flames burned through the rubble, the acrid stench lingering in the air as emergency workers and the Lebanese Army arrived on the scene.
In a morbid reminder of Israel's brutal war on Lebanon last year, Arabic language spokesman Avichay Adraee claimed the building was a facility belonging to Hezbollah without providing evidence.
The forced eviction order came after the Israeli military said two rockets were launched from south Lebanon on Friday morning – one was intercepted and the other landed in Lebanese territory. Hezbollah immediately denied responsibility and said it was committed to the ceasefire.
The rockets triggered sirens in towns in northern Israel situated on the border with Lebanon.
In response, Israel unleashed a bombing campaign across multiple populations centres in south Lebanon. At least one person was killed and more than eight injured, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
Lebanon's army later said it had identified the site of the rocket launch, just north of the Litani River, and was trying to identify the perpetrators.
One of the Israeli attacks hit a school in the town of Khiam. Schools in the Nabatieh Governorate closed for the day as a result of Israel’s bombing.
President Joseph Aoun said he was following up on the developments from Paris, where he is on a foreign trip.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, speaking next to Mr Aoun, called the Israeli air strikes on Lebanon "unacceptable", saying it was a "violation of the ceasefire" agreed in November.
Mr Macron said that he would discuss the attack with US President Donald Trump "in the coming hours" and with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu within two days.
"There is no activity that justifies such strikes," Mr Macron said.
Meanwhile, Lebanese media reported that Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is chairing an urgent security meeting to discuss the latest security developments.
He urged his army chief "to act quickly to... uncover those behind the irresponsible rocket fire that threatens Lebanon's stability" and arrest them.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had threatened Lebanon and warned “there will be no calm in Beirut” if there was conflict in northern Israel again. Israeli officials have previously threatened to bomb the Lebanese capital if rockets were launched from southern Lebanon.
Friday’s rocket launches from south Lebanon were only the second such incident since a ceasefire was agreed between Israel and Hezbollah last November – although the truce deal has not stopped Israel pounding south Lebanon.
Nearly a week ago, three rockets were launched from south Lebanon at Israel. The Israeli army responded by carrying out a major bombing campaign of south Lebanon, leading to multiple fatalities. Hezbollah denied responsibility for the rocket attacks.
A Lebanese security source told The National that the "improvised" nature of the launch sites used in the attack indicated that it was "unlikely" that Hezbollah was involved.
Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues to occupy five positions in Lebanese territory – under the terms of the truce, it was supposed to withdraw last month.
More than 4,000 people in Lebanon were killed during the conflict, which began in parallel to Israel's war on Gaza but significantly escalated last September.
