Soon after Israeli DM Katz announced that so long as there is no peace in northern Israel, “there will be no peace in Beirut either,” the IDF bombed the Dahieh suburbs of Beirut in the most egregious violation of the ceasefire since it came into effect last November. Locals report that the area was a residential block. The IDF reported that they were targeting a Hezbollah military weapons cache. Hezbollah has been known to keep weapons in civilian residential areas, though this strike appears more pointed at applying pressure on the Lebanese government than the tactical elimination of Hezbollah weapons.

There was an initial strike coming from southern Lebanon that targeted Kiryat Shmona. Israel, pinning the strike on Hezbollah, responded initially with a wave of strikes throughout southern Lebanon. According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, six people were killed in the initial wave of strikes in south Lebanon, with another 18 injured, including women and children. However, the IDF apparently escalated beyond that soon after demanding the evacuation of Dahieh ahead of a strike to reportedly target Hezbollah drones kept there.

The LAF reported, “The army was able to identify the rocket launch site in the Qaaqaaiyet al-Jisr area” that was used to target northern Israel earlier today and was searching for the perpetrators.

While noting that “Israel is France’s friend,” President Macron asserted that the bombing of Beirut today was “unacceptable,” adding, “Today’s strikes and the failure to respect the ceasefire are unilateral actions that betray a given promise and play into Hezbollah’s hands.” Lebanese President Aoun, who is meeting with Macron in Paris, also condemned the strike and “call[ed] on Lebanon’s friends to act quickly to stop the deterioration and help Lebanon implement international resolutions.”

UN special envoy for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert commented on the violence today: “Today's exchange of fire across the Blue Line, the second such incident in less than a week, is deeply concerning. A return to wider conflict in Lebanon would be devastating for civilians on both sides of the Blue Line and must be avoided at all costs. Restraint from all parties is therefore critically needed.”

Following the bombing, US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce stated, “The reason that any attacks have happened is because terrorists launched rockets into Israel from Lebanon. That is a violation of the cessation of hostilities. It is a violation of the ceasefire when terrorist groups or armed groups shoot rockets. As part of the cessation of hostilities agreement, the government of Lebanon is responsible for disarming Hezbollah, and we expect the Lebanese Armed Forces to disarm these terrorists to prevent further hostilities.”

As expected, the Lebanese Cabinet appointed Karim Souaid as the head of the Banque du Liban yesterday, giving him a key position in implementing economic reform promised by Salam’s government and demanded by foreign leaders.

The US Treasury Department announced new sanctions on five individuals and three companies targeting a “Lebanon-based sanctions evasion network supporting the Hizballah finance team.” Reportedly, one of the main purposes of this network is to generate money for and transfer it to Hezbollah in coordination with Iran’s Quds Force and provide it with access to the global financial system despite the existing sanctions regime, especially through the masking of crude oil sales.

Following an initial delay, Lebanese DM Menassa and Syrian DM Abu Qasra met today in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, to sign a deal for the demarcation of the border between the two countries and to resolve the tensions that led to deadly conflict this month.

Dozens of IDF Medical Corps Reservists announced that they will refuse to return to Gaza following the resumption of hostilities there on account of ethical and legal reasons, adding that “the takeover of territories and the call to settle them [are] in violation of international law.” Reservists refusing to show up for duty has become a growing issue in the IDF in recent months: a stark change from the ready and mass mobilization following Hamas’ invasion of southern Israel in 2023.

Israeli news media reported that only 27% of Israeli adults support the current government, while 70% said they didn’t. Even among constituents of the current ruling coalition, only 36% approve of the government compared to 51% who disapprove. Although not a new development, it highlights Netanyahu’s need to pander to his far-right, ultra-orthodox allies in the Knesset to avoid a vote of no confidence.

Israeli media separately reported that Hamas may be considering the release of some of the remaining hostages held in Gaza in exchange for a ceasefire for Eid el-Fitr arriving this weekend. If these reports are true, it may be in large part due to the recent protests in Gaza against Hamas for not ending the war.