A series of Israeli strikes have targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs on the eve of the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday, almost an hour after the Israeli army issued a forced evacuation order to residents in areas that it says held underground facilities used by the Lebanese group Hezbollah for drone production.

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah was long considered Iran’s first line of defense in case of a war with Israel.

Israel has continued to carry out near-daily strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon since the ceasefire, which Lebanon has said are in violation of the agreement. Israeli officials say the strikes are intended to prevent Hezbollah from regrouping after a war that took out much of its senior leadership and arsenal.

Israel launched its most extensive series of airstrikes on the Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut on Thursday, as well as Ain Qana in south Lebanon, stating it targeted Hezbollah drone production and storage facilities.

DAMASCUS: In a park overlooking Damascus, 25-year-old Khaldoun Hallak has spent the past few evenings with his friends, drinking yerba mate, snacking on nuts, s

Israel and Iran have opened a new chapter in their long history of conflict. Israel launched a major attack with strikes early Friday that set off explosions in the Iranian capital of Tehran.

The Israeli attack, which comes amid an unprecedented exchange of strikes between Israel and Ansar Allah's Axis of Resistance coalition ally, Iran, was reported by a number of Israeli outlets as well as Saudi Arabia's Al-Hadath network.

At the heart of the current crisis lies Israel’s fear that Iran is nearing the development of a nuclear weapon — a red line it has long vowed to prevent. Israel’s latest airstrikes reportedly targeted uranium enrichment facilities and military sites suspected of aiding Iran’s nuclear programme.