Hezbollah said it fired rockets and drones toward northern Israel, which Israel framed as a major escalation tied to the wider regional conflict.
Israel launched airstrikes on Hezbollah targets across Lebanon — including Beirut’s Dahieh area — and ordered evacuations in parts of southern and eastern Lebanon, prompting a rush of displaced families onto roads overnight.
Details
• Hezbollah’s strike claim: Reuters reported Hezbollah said it attacked an Israeli missile defence-related facility near Haifa.
• Israel’s response: Reuters described strikes on Hezbollah-controlled areas including Beirut’s southern suburbs, alongside attacks in other parts of Lebanon.
• Evacuations and displacement: The Guardian reported evacuation orders affecting dozens of Lebanese towns and significant civilian flight, with traffic jams as people left threatened areas.
• Leadership targeting context (the “No. 2” issue): In November 2025, Israel announced it had killed Haytham Ali Tabtabai, Hezbollah’s top military official, and Reuters reported the killing; Israel and Israeli media described him as second only to the group’s secretary-general in the command structure.
• What we do not have confirmed (as of March 2, 2026): In today’s Reuters reporting on the March 1–2 strikes, Israel said it hit senior Hezbollah operatives near Beirut but did not publicly identify a “second-in-command” casualty by name in those latest strikes.
What’s next?
• Watch whether Israel shifts from broad infrastructure strikes and evacuation pressure toward explicitly named leadership assassinations, and whether Hezbollah expands its fire deeper into Israel.
