Israeli Airstrikes Hit Beirut’s Dahiyeh During Operation Roaring Lion

On 02/03/2026, Israeli forces launched a series of intensive airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, an area widely known as Dahiyeh, as part of a military escalation described by Israel as Operation Roaring Lion. The strikes followed a missile and drone attack carried out by Hezbollah against a military base south of Haifa. Hezbollah said its attack was retaliation for the reported killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during a joint United States and Israeli air operation on 28/02/2026. According to reports from Israeli and Lebanese sources, the first wave of bombardment began at approximately 3:00 AM local time on 02/03/2026. Israeli aircraft struck around a dozen locations across the southern suburbs of Beirut. The Israel Defense Forces stated that several targets were linked to Hezbollah’s operational infrastructure, including the group’s intelligence headquarters in the Dahiyeh area. The Israeli military said Hussein Makled, identified as the head of Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters, was killed during the strike on that facility. Additional strikes targeted branches and facilities associated with Al-Qard Al-Hassan, a financial network that Israel identifies as a key financial arm supporting Hezbollah’s operations. Israeli officials said the strikes were intended to disrupt the group’s command structure and funding networks. Early reports also indicated that senior Hezbollah figures including Naim Qassem and Mohammad Raad may have been targeted. Later on the same day, Mohammad Raad appeared in media interviews denying reports that he had been killed. Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health reported that the airstrikes caused widespread casualties across Beirut and southern Lebanon. Initial figures released on 02/03/2026 indicated at least 31 people were killed and 149 injured. Later assessments raised the total number of casualties for that day’s attacks to 52 deaths and 154 injuries. Emergency services and civil defense teams continued search and rescue operations in several damaged residential and commercial areas following the overnight bombardment. The strikes marked a major escalation in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, with military exchanges occurring alongside broader regional tensions involving Iran and Israel during the same period.