On Tuesday, Israeli warplanes broke the sound barrier three times over Beirut within a span of less than 30 minutes. The loud booms from the sonic booms caused panic among the city’s residents, leading many to seek shelter. The jets flew at low altitude over the Lebanese capital, with witnesses able to see them clearly in the sky.
The noise was reported to be the loudest heard in Beirut in years. A Reuters reporter observed people fleeing a cafe in the Badaro district as the sound echoed throughout the city.
Context of the Tensions
The dramatic show of force occurred just before Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was scheduled to give a speech at around 5 p.m. (1400 GMT). The address was set to mark one week since the killing of Hezbollah’s top military commander, Fuad Shukr, in an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against the killing. The incident came shortly before the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, an operation attributed to Israel but not officially confirmed or denied by Israeli authorities.
The recent killings have intensified regional tensions, with Iran also pledging a strong response. The situation remains volatile as the region edges closer to a broader conflict.