Hezbollah evacuated its leadership positions on Friday in the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to sources from al-Arabiya and al-Hadath.
The group is said to have removed military equipment from the area. Residents in the buildings where Hezbollah officials live, or those close to its institutions, have also been instructed to relocate to safer places.
This step comes as no surprise, as the southern suburbs have been targeted twice since the onset of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023.
The first attack, which Israel conducted on January 2, in Dahyeh, killed the deputy leader of Hamas, Saleh al-Arouri. The second attack, conducted on Haret Hreik last Wednesday, killed top Hezbollah commander Fouad Shokr and four others, wounding 79 individuals.
The recent attack was Israel’s response to the airstrike on Majdal Shams, which killed 12 youths. Hezbollah, which Israel blamed for the attack, has denied responsibility.
Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday vowed to retaliate against the Israelis, stating that the confrontation with Israel has entered a new phase.
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