Israel says no calm in Beirut until Hezbollah is disarmed

Lebanese army condemns latest attack on capital and says Israel rejected efforts to halt strikes

Israel's Defence Minister has said there will be "no calm in Beirut” until Hezbollah is disarmed. Israel Katz made the remarks hours after the Lebanese capital was bombed as people prepared to celebrate the Eid Al Adha holiday.

Israel said the attacks on Thursday night – latest breach of a ceasefire agreement – were launched against Hezbollah "drone factories" in Beirut's southern suburbs, without providing evidence.

A building hit by an overnight Israeli air strike in the Dahieh district in southern Beirut. EPA

“There will be no calm in Beirut, and no order or stability in Lebanon, without security for the state of Israel," Mr Katz said in a statement.

“Agreements must be honoured and if you do not do what is required, we will continue to act, and with great force,” he said in a threat to the Lebanese government.

Israel also struck the town of Ain Qana in southern Lebanon after issuing a similar eviction warning. The attack destroyed a house and a three-storey residential building. At least three people were injured, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

On Friday morning, the Lebanese army accused Israel of ignoring an international ceasefire monitoring mechanism and bombing Beirut despite efforts to prevent the attack.

Continued Israeli breaches may compel the military to suspend its co-operation with the ceasefire monitoring committee regarding inspections of alleged Hezbollah sites, the army said.

The monitoring mechanism is led by the US and oversees the ceasefire agreed on in November last year. Lebanon has accused Israel of breaching the truce more than 3,000 times.

People inspect the damage from an an overnight Israeli attack on Lebanon's southern village of Ain Qana. AFP

The army said it contacted and co-ordinated with the monitoring mechanism after the Israel military issued its eviction order, in an effort to prevent the strikes.

“Patrols also headed to a number of sites to inspect them, despite the [Israeli] rejection of the proposal,” it said. “The army command condemns these attacks, particularly the latest one, which came on the eve of the holidays in a clear attempt by the enemy to obstruct our nation's progress, recovery and ability to benefit from the positive conditions available."

Thursday night's attack on a densely populated area in Haret Hreik, in Beirut's southern suburbs, flattened one row of residential buildings at least eight storeys high.

Smoke was still rising on Friday from the site of the bombing, which left a deep crater in the ground. The road into the area was lined by the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes last year – a sign of Lebanon's limited ability to recover and rebuild after such attacks.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, a former army commander, condemned the attacks as a "blatant violation of an international agreement".

Under the truce, Hezbollah fighters must withdraw to north of the Litani River, about 30km from the border with Israel, and dismantle military posts further south. Israel was supposed to withdraw from Lebanese territory, but has failed to do so and continues to bomb southern Lebanon on a daily basis. Lebanon says Hezbollah has abided by the terms of the ceasefire.

The Lebanese army has sent soldiers to the south to remove Hezbollah infrastructure there. Lebanon's leaders say they want to bring all arms under state control as soon as possible, but through diplomatic means rather than by force.

Israel's war on Lebanon last year killed more than 4,000 people. The Lebanese government said in April that Israeli strikes had killed another 190 people and wounded 485 since the ceasefire agreement.