Israel strikes in Beirut kill 31; Lebanon bans Hezbollah military activities

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s government on Monday banned all military and security activities by Hezbollah after the Iran-backed group launched drone and rocket attacks on Israel, saying it was avenging the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The move comes as Israel intensified airstrikes on Hezbollah-controlled areas in Beirut’s southern suburbs and other parts of Lebanon, marking a sharp escalation in tensions linked to the widening Iran-Israel conflict.

According to Lebanon’s health ministry, at least 31 people were killed in Israeli air raids carried out in response to Hezbollah’s attack.

The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Saturday, triggering retaliatory attacks from Tehran and its allied groups across the region.

Hezbollah, founded in 1982 by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, said its assault on Israel was carried out to avenge what it described as “the pure blood” of Khamenei, who was killed in a bombing over the weekend. The group said the operation was conducted “in defence of Lebanon and its people” and in response to what it called repeated Israeli aggression.

Israel blamed Hezbollah for the latest escalation and declared the group’s leader, Naim Qassem, a “target for elimination”.

In a statement following a cabinet meeting, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the state rejected any military operations launched from Lebanese territory outside the authority of official institutions.

“The decision of war and peace rests exclusively with the state,” Salam said, announcing an immediate ban on all Hezbollah military and security activities and calling on the group to hand over its weapons to the Lebanese state.

“We announce a ban on Hezbollah’s military activities and restrict its role to the political sphere,” he said, adding that all such activities were “illegal”.

Salam also directed security forces to prevent any attacks originating from Lebanese territory and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to a cessation of hostilities and the resumption of negotiations.

The developments underscore mounting pressure on Hezbollah domestically and regionally, as the Iran-Israel confrontation continues to draw in multiple actors across the Middle East.