Attack, which killed five, is the first to target Beirut since a ceasefire was agreed a year ago
\n Beirut
\nIsrael has struck Beirut for the first time since June, in an attack that killed five people and wounded 25, according to Lebanon\u2019s Ministry of Public Health.
\nThe Israeli military said the strike on Sunday killed Hezbollah\u2019s chief of staff, Haytham Tabatabai, and warned the Lebanese-based group against rearming a year after the two ended their latest war.
\nHezbollah has confirmed Tabatabai\u2019s death and warned that the attack threatened to escalate hostilities as Pope Leo XIV prepares to visit Lebanon.
\nWhile Sunday\u2019s attack was the first to target the capital, Israeli air strikes over southern Lebanon have intensified in recent weeks.
\nAt the same time, Israel and the United States continue to pressure Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, which was a condition of the ceasefire deal that brought an end to the war a year ago. Israel claims the group is trying to rebuild its military capabilities.
\nThe Lebanese government has denied those claims. It says troops have been deployed to Hezbollah\u2019s stronghold southern areas, but that its cash-strapped army requires more resources.
\nHezbollah has not attacked Israel since the ceasefire began.
\nLebanon\u2019s President Joseph Aoun condemned the strike in a statement and accused Israel of refusing to uphold its part of the ceasefire agreement.
\nHe called on the international community to \u201cintervene with strength and seriousness to stop the attacks on Lebanon and its people\u201d.
\nIsrael\u2019s military said it remains committed to the \u201cunderstandings\u201d agreed upon.
\nLast week, Lebanon\u2019s president said the country is ready to enter negotiations with Israel to halt the continuing air strikes and withdraw from five hilltop points that it occupies on Lebanese territory.
\nHe also insisted that Lebanon remains committed to disarming all non-state actors in the country, including Hezbollah.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Attack, which killed five, is the first to target Beirut since a ceasefire was agreed a year ago Beirut Israel has struck Beirut for the first time since June, in an attack that killed five people and wounded 25, according to Lebanon\u2019s Ministry of Public Health. The Israeli military said the strike on Sunday killed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":516570,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-516541","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n