Background
In the aftermath of the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, Israel and the Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah have been engaged in conflict, as part of a longer stretch of hostilities between the two since the latter's founding in 1982. Hezbollah launched strikes against Israel for a year after the 7 October attacks, which it said was in solidarity with Palestinians following the 7 October attacks and beginning of Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip. [24] [25] In response, Israel invaded southern Lebanon in October 2024, pulling out after a U.S-brokered ceasefire at the end of November, but not before killing Hezbollah's leader, cleric Hassan Nasrallah. Between November 2024 and March 2026 however, several ceasefire violations occurred between the two, with Israel still launching near daily attacks into Lebanon a year after the ceasefire. [26]
On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel initiated a joint strike campaign against Iran, the culmination of a geopolitical crisis that began 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." [27] 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 vowed to retaliate and "undertake our duty of confronting the aggression", stating Hezbollah would not leave "the field of honor and resistance." [28]
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. [16] The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed to have intercepted one projectile originating from Lebanon, letting several others fall into open sites. [29] In response, Israeli jets bombed the Lebanese capital of Beirut at 3am local time, [30] issuing evacuation orders to local civilians in 50 villages across Southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley. [31] 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." [32] Early reports suggested the intended targets were Naim Qassem and Mohammad Raad. [33] Later, Saudi news channel Al Hadath reported Raad's whereabouts were unknown and stated his body was being searched for in the rubble. [34] [35] The IDF said Hezbollah's intelligence chief, Hussain Makled, was killed in the strikes. [36]
3 March
Hezbollah fired missiles and drones targeting three Israeli bases, Ramat David Airbase, the Meron monitoring base and Camp Yitzhak. [17] [37] Israel executed airstrikes on Hezbollah strong holds and also targeted Al-Manar TV's headquarters in Beirut. [38] Later on in the day, Israeli forces were ordered to seize positions within Lebanon. [39] Israel said its military had seized "strategic areas" in southern Lebanon while ordering nearby Lebanese towns to evacuate. [40] Israel struck Yohmor with white phosphorus, illegal under international law, causing several homes to catch fire. [41] [42]
4 March
Hezbollah launched drone and missiles into Israel, attempting to hit military bases and oil and gas infrastructures. [43] Hezbollah anti-tank fire caused moderate injuries to two Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, making them the first Israeli injuries of the conflict. [11] Israel launched strikes eliminating the communications centers of Hezbollah, al-Manar TV station and al-Nour radio station. [44] More strikes were focused on villages in southern Lebanon used by Hezbollah. [43] Following Hezbollah's continued attacks, Israel issued an immediate urgent evacuation warning to South Lebanon residents, telling them to move north of the Litani River. [45] UN peacekeeping force reported Israeli soldiers entered several towns and villages in Southern Lebanon, including: Kfar Kila, Houla, Kfar Shouba, Yaroun and Khiam. [46]
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 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 prevent Iraqi militias from crossing Syrian territory towards the Golan Heights. [47] [48]
5 March
UNIFIL published that since 2 March it monitored over 210 missiles fired by Hezbollah into Israel. [49] 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 continued, targeting Hezbollah facilities and operatives, as it renewed its evacuation warning to residence in Southern Lebanon, close to sites it will target. [50] [51] [52] At midday, the IDF published an immediate evacuation notice to the southern suburbs of Beirut, specifically Bourj el-Barajneh, Hadath, Haret Hreik and Chiyah. Residents were advised by the IDF to move north and east. [53]
6 March
Hezbollah conducted a series of attacks on Israel and Israeli forces, launching rockets and artillery shells toward the Golan Heights and Haifa. [54]
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. [55] A Hezbollah projectile fired near the Lebanese border caused injuries to 8 Israeli soldiers, five of them severe. [56] Among the injured was the son of far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich. [57]
Two Israeli missile strikes on a UNIFIL battalion headquarters in al-Qaouzah in Bint Jbeil injured three UN peacekeepers from Ghana. [58] [59]
7 March
Hezbollah continued firing missiles and rockets into Israel's northern parts. [60] [61]
Israel's retaliation action included attacks in the eastern Lebanese town of Nabi Chit, were reports say an operation to search for Ron Arad took place. [62] [63] [64] The Lebanese health ministry reported the strike killed over 41 people and injured 40 more. [65] The deaths include at least three soldiers of the Lebanese Armed Forces and one from Lebanon's General Security Directorate. [66] Later that day an evacuation notice was issued by the IDF to Zqouq El Mufdi, Tyre. [67] These evacuation notices were followed by "Save your lives" notices and reminders to residents to stay away from their homes. [68]
8 March
Israel launched an airstrike on the Ramada hotel building in central Beirut, killing four key Iranian commanders of Iran's elite Quds Force of the IRCG, who were planning terror attacks on Israel. [69] [70] Later the Israeli army stated they killed five senior commanders from the Lebanon Corps of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in a precise strike in Beirut. [71] Netanyahu said: "Whoever lays down their arms will save their life, and whoever doesn't, their blood will be spilled." [72]
Constantinos Kombos, Cyprus's Foreign Minister stated the explosive-packed drones launched from Lebanon towards the Island, were launched by Hezbollah, targeting British bases there. [73] [74]
A Hezbollah rocket attack in southern Lebanon damaged a Puma armored engineering vehicle and then hit a Caterpillar D9 bulldozer attempting to assist the vehicle, killing two soldiers. [75]
9 March
According to Hezbollah, the organization fought Israeli forces that landed once again in eastern Lebanon near Nabi Sheet. This time they were 15 Israeli helicopters that came from the Syrian side of the border. [76] Hezbollah kept firing rocket and missiles in to Israel. [77] During the day Israel targeted strikes on Al-Qard Al-Hassan, an US sanction institution know for funding Hezbollah. [78] Before mid night, the Syrian Army informed Hezbollah shelled their positions. [79] The Syrian Army declared they detected Hezbollah's reinforcements at the Syrian-Lebanese border. [80]
A double strike on a house in Al-Qlayaa killed Lebanese Maronite Catholic priest Father Pierre al-Rahi. [81] Locals were later seen mourning his death in the town's municipality hall. [82]
10 March
The Syrian Army said they would coordinate a possible Syrian response to Hezbollah's actions with the Lebanese government side. [83] On the same day, Syria reported early in the morning that artillery shells fired from Lebanon landed near a town 20 miles west of Damascus. Syria accused Hezbollah of targeting Syrian army positions in the area and said that it had observed Hezbollah reinforcements arriving along the Lebanon–Syria border, warning that it would respond to any attack on its territory. [84]
Hezbollah claimed it targeted sites in Tell al-Hamames, south of the city of Khiam. [85] According to reports Hezbollah and Iran fired missiles on northern Israel. [86] On Tuesday it was reported that residents from Aalma El Chaeb in South Lebanon, left the town towards Tyre, escorted by LAF and UNIFIL forces. [87] Later Israel issued warning to residence of Arnoun, Yohmor, Zawtar El Charqiyeh, and Zawtar El Gharbiyeh residents to evacuate. [88]
Later that day, Hanna Daher (حنّا ضاهر), the mayor of Christian village Al-Qlayaa, claimed in his interview to "This is Beirut" [89] that Hezbollah had launched a rocket which hit the kitchen room of the house of Salam Rizq (سلام رزق), a Lebanese Army soldier, while his family was inside the kitchen. The alleged targetting came after the village had earlier decided not to let outsiders in [90] for fear of Hezbollah attacking Israel from the village and thereby exposing it to Israel's counter-attack, with the decision being in reaction to Israel's killing of Pierre al-Rahi in al-Qlayya one day earlier. Whether the hit was by mistake/misfire during combat against Israel or intended as revenge against the villagers is unknown.
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. [32] Civilian displacement has been significant, with families fleeing southern areas toward cities like Sidon. [23] At night casualties rose to 52 deaths and 154 injuries per the ministry. [32]
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. [91] Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Lebanon announced that its commander, Adham Adnan al-Othman, was killed in Beirut's southern suburbs. [92]
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. [93] [94]
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. [32]
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. [32] 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. [95]
The Lebanese government announced on 5 March it would "arrest and repatriate" anyone in Lebanon connected to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, leading to the departure of dozens of Iranian officers from Beirut in the past two days, according to Axios and several other sources. Most of those departing are believed to be members of the Quds Force who had been serving as military advisers to Hezbollah and influencing its operations. [96]
Following the Lebanese legal actions against Hezbollah and the IRGC, more than 150 Iranian nationals left Lebanon, including diplomats. [97]
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." [98] 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." [22]
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." [99] IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin said "Hezbollah opened fire last night. We warned it. It will pay a heavy price." When asked about a possible ground incursion into Lebanon, Defrin stated that "all options are on the table." [100] 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." [101]
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. [102]
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Israel 
Lebanon [a] 
France [b] 
Syria [6] 
UNIFIL 
Naim Qassem 
Ali Zadeh X 
Adham Adnan al-Othman X 
