Beirut suburbs hit by Israeli airstrikes

Residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs viewed the damage caused by Israeli air strikes a day earlier, sending thousands of people fleeing on the eve of a Muslim feast day and prompting accusations by top Lebanese officials that Israel was violating a ceasefire deal.

At least 10 Israeli air strikes hit the southern suburbs of Lebanon's capital - a sprawling area known as Dahiyeh - in a wave of bombing that began about 90 minutes after the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for four sites in the area.

It was the fourth time that Dahiyeh has been bombed since a U.S.-brokered truce in November ended a year-long war between Israel and Lebanese armed movement Hezbollah.

The ceasefire says Hezbollah must pull all military equipment and fighters out of southern Lebanon and says all non-state militant groups must be disarmed across the country.

The Israeli military said that it was planning to strike "underground UAV production infrastructure sites that were deliberately established in the heart of the civilian population" in Dahiyeh. It said Hezbollah was producing thousands of drones there.

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, which in the past has denied placing military infrastructure in civilian areas.

A Lebanese security source said that Lebanon's army had received a notice that military equipment was being stored in one area in Dahiyeh. After visiting the site, the army determined there was no such military equipment stored there. The attacks occurred as the Muslim holiday Eid Al-Adha was due to begin.

The situation remains volatile, with the potential for further escalation if diplomatic efforts fail to address the underlying issues contributing to the conflict.