Israeli airstrikes cause panic in Beirut as tensions escalate

Israeli warplanes flew over Beirut on August 6, causing a series of sonic booms that shook the Lebanese capital just before Hezbollah's leader was scheduled to speak.

The loud noises prompted residents to rush to their windows and balconies to shield against potential glass shattering, but no official comment from the Israeli military was immediately available, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

In the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, supporters had gathered for a speech by Hezbollah's leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, marking the one-week anniversary of Israel's killing of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr. Nasrallah suggested that the sonic booms were intended to provoke those assembled for the memorial.

Earlier, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for launching a swarm of drones at Israeli military sites near Acre and attacking an Israeli military vehicle. The Israeli military confirmed that several hostile drones were detected crossing from Lebanon, with one intercepted. The incident resulted in injuries to seven people, including one in critical condition, due to an interceptor missile that missed its target.

The situation remains tense as fears grow of a broader conflict in the region. Hezbollah vowed to avenge Shukr's death, and Iran has promised to respond to the recent assassination of the Hamas leader in Tehran. Additionally, four Hezbollah fighters were reported killed in a strike on a house in the Lebanese town of Mayfadoun earlier on August 6.