On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel initiated a joint strike campaign against Iran, the culmination of a geopolitical crisis that had begun around the turn of the year. Hezbollah condemned the attacks, stating "we are confident that the American and Israeli enemy will receive a great slap and will reap nothing but failure from its tyrannical, criminal aggression."[17] During the campaign, Israeli strikes killed the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei; following Iranian confirmation of his death on 1 March, Hezbollah's secretary-general Naim Qassem voted to retaliate and "undertake our duty of confronting the aggression", stating that Hezbollah would not leave "the field of honor and resistance."[18]
Strikes
2 March
On 2 March, Hezbollah launched several projectiles into northern Israel, the first time it had done so since the 2024 ceasefire, targeting a missile defense site south of Haifa.[10] The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed to have intercepted one projectile originating from Lebanon, letting several others fall into open sites.[19] In response, Israeli jets bombed the Lebanese capital of Beirut at 3am local time,[20] issuing evacuation orders to local civilians in 50 villages across Southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley.[21] The Israeli military claimed it carried out “precise and targeted” strikes against “senior terrorist elements of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the Beirut area" and “a central terrorist element of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in southern Lebanon.”[22] Early reports suggested that the intended targets were Naim Qassem and Mohammad Raad.[23][23] Later Al Hadath reported that Raad's whereabouts were unknown and stated that his body was being searched for in the rubble.[24][25] The IDF said that Hezbollah intelligence chief, Hussain Makled, was killed in the strikes.[26]
3 March
Hezbollah fired missiles and drones targeting three Israeli bases, Ramat David airbase, the Meron monitoring base and Camp Yitzhak.[11][27] Israel executed airstrikes on Hezbollah strong holds and also targeted Al-Manar TV's headquarters in Beirut.[28] Later on in the day, Israeli forces were ordered to seize positions within Lebanon.[29] Israel said that its military had seized "strategic areas" in southern Lebanon while ordering nearby Lebanese towns to evacuate.[30]
4 March
Hezbollah launch drone and missiles into Israel, in attempt to hit bases and oil and gas infrastructures.[31] Hezbollah anti-tank fire caused moderate injuries to two Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, making them the first Israeli injuries of the conflict.[7] Israel launched strikes eliminating the communications centers of Hezbollah, al-Manar TV station and al-Nour radio station.[32] More strikes were focused on villages in southern Lebanon, used by Hezbollah.[31] Following Hezbollah's continues attacks, Israel issued an immediate urgent evacuation warning to South Lebanon residents, telling them to move north of the Litani River.[33] UN peacekeeping force reported Israeli soldiers have entered several towns and villages in Southern Lebanon, including: Kfar Kila, Houla, Kfar Shouba, Yaroun and Khiam.[34]
Israel carried out an incursion into southern Syria, shelling the area between Jamla and Saisoun in Daraa Governorate, and arrested four civilians. Israel accused Syria of deploying combat units to the Syrian Golan Heights, stating that it will not allow the Hezbollah–Israel strikes to be used as a pretext to "harm the Druze" in southern Syria and demanded the Syrian government to prevent Iraqi militias from crossing Syrian territory toward Golan Heights.[35][36]
5 March
UNIFIL published that since 2 March it monitored over 210 missiles fired by Hezbollah into Israel.[37] Israel killed a Hamas official in a strikes on Beirut, as well as several strikes early in the day, including two in the Hezbollah stronghold of south Beirut. More attacks targeting Hezbollah facilities and operatives, as it renewed its evacuation warning to residence in Southern Lebanon, close to sites it will target.[38][39][40] At midday, the IDF published an immediate evacuation notice to the southern suburbs of Beirut, specifically Bourj el-Barajneh, Hadath, Haret Hreik and Chiyah. Residence were advised by the IDF to move north and east.[41]
6 March
Hezbollah conducted a series of attacks on Israel and Israeli forces, launching rockets and artillery shells toward the Golan Heights and Haifa.[42]
During the night and morning after issuing advance warnings to minimize civilian casualties, Israel launched a series of airstrikes targeting Hezbollah headquarters located in ten high-rise buildings in Beirut. The strikes also targeted warehouses where drones used in attacks against Israel were reportedly stored.[43] A Hezbollah projectile fired near the Lebanese border caused injuries to 8 Israeli soldiers, five of them severe.[44]
Casualties
Initially, Lebanon's Health Ministry reported at least 31 people killed and 149 injured in the strikes, with 20 people killed and 91 others were wounded in Beirut's southern suburbs and 11 people killed and 58 others were wounded in southern Lebanon.[22] Civilian displacement has been significant, with families fleeing southern areas toward cities like Sidon.[13] At night casualties rose to 52 deaths and 154 injuries per the ministry.[22]
In the afternoon, the IDF announced that head of Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters, Hussein Makled, was killed in the overnight strikes in Beirut. Local media also reported the death of the brother of the late Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah along with his wife as a result of the strikes on Haret Hreik.[45]Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Lebanon announced that its commander, Adham Adnan al-Othman, was killed in Beirut's southern suburbs.[46]
Reactions
Lebanese government
On 2 March 2026, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned Hezbollah's rocket and drone strikes from southern Lebanon, calling them irresponsible acts outside the authority of the Lebanese state that endanger national security. While he emphasized that all military action must fall under the government's control, he has not formally declared Hezbollah outlawed, focusing instead on preventing unauthorized armed operations.[47][48]
Following an emergency Cabinet meeting convened early in the day amid the escalating strikes, Salam announced a total ban on all military activities by Hezbollah, demanding the group surrender its weapons to the state and restrict itself to political activities only. He affirmed that decisions on war and peace rest exclusively with the state, rejecting any unauthorized actions from Lebanese territory, and called on security forces to prevent such violations and arrest those responsible.[22]
The National News Agency reported that Justice minister Adel Nassar requested the public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, Jamal Hajjar, and the government commissioner at the Military Court to assign the security forces with immediately arresting those involved in launching rockets from southern Lebanon toward Israel.[22] Following Hezbollah's continued attacks on Israel, it has lost its support among the Lebanese people and even within its own Shi'ite block. The voices calling against the organization and its aggression are growing louder.[49]
Hezbollah
Hezbollah condemned the Lebanese government after it banned Hezbollah's military and security activities, stating "We understand the Lebanese government's impotence in the face of the brutal Zionist enemy, which violates national sovereignty, occupies land, and poses a continuous threat to the country's security and stability", and that it is the government's right "to decide on war and peace", concluding that "given this clear weakness and deficiency, we see no justification for Prime Minister Salam and his government to take such aggressive measures against the Lebanese who reject the occupation."[50] Hezbollah later said that its attack was a "defensive act" after over a year of Israeli attacks despite a truce. It added that "for fifteen months, Israeli aggression against Lebanon has continued through killing, destruction, bulldozing, and all forms of criminal acts."[12]
Israel
The IDF said that it would "not allow the organization [Hezbollah] to pose a threat to the State of Israel and harm the residents of the north", further accusing it of "destroying the state of Lebanon."[51]IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin said "Hezbollah opened fire last night. We warned it. It will pay a heavy price." When asked about a possible land invasion into Lebanon, Defrin stated that "all options are on the table."[51][failed verification] Israel also indirectly threatened to strike Lebanese government targets unless it intervened against Hezbollah. Lebanese foreign minister Youssef Rajji revealed that Lebanon had "received warnings indicating that any intervention on the part of Hezbollah could prompt Israel to strike infrastructure targets."[52]
International
France condemned Hezbollah's attacks against Israel as "irresponsible" and expressed its solidarity "in the face of the ordeal Lebanon is going through due to the irresponsible decision of Hezbollah". It also expressed solidarity with Israeli civilians affected by the Iranian attacks.[53]
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Israel 
Lebanon [a] 
France [b] 
Naim Qassem 
Adham Adnan al-Othman X 
