BEIRUT, LEBANON — On Thursday, Lebanese sources reported that the Israeli Air Force executed two ‘knock on roof’ warning strikes in southern Beirut, underscoring a sharp escalation in tension along Israel’s northern front, where hostilities with Iranian-backed Hezbollah continue to intensify. The strikes targeted structures believed to be associated with Hezbollah, sending a clear signal of Israel’s readiness to expand its operations should threats persist from Lebanese territory.
The incidents occurred around 3:00 and 3:30 a.m. local time and were confirmed by local journalists and regional security sources. The warning munitions, which are non-explosive, were deployed atop residential buildings in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district, an area known for its concentration of Hezbollah’s political and military infrastructure. These strikes prompted evacuations and widespread alarm but resulted in no casualties, according to initial reports. The buildings, according to security sources, may have served as operational sites or logistical nodes for Hezbollah operatives.
This escalation follows a period of ongoing violence since October 2023, triggered by the Hamas-perpetrated massacre that claimed the lives of over 1,200 Israeli men, women, and children. The massacre, recognized as the deadliest act of antisemitic violence since the Holocaust, drew condemnation worldwide and prompted Israel’s military campaign—Operation Iron Swords—against Iran’s terror proxies, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
HOW THE ‘KNOCK ON ROOF’ PROCEDURE WORKS
The ‘knock on roof’ procedure has become a defining element of Israel’s efforts to minimize noncombatant casualties in dense urban conflict zones. It involves the delivery of non-lethal percussion devices as advance warnings, granting civilians critical time to evacuate before subsequent airstrikes. Israeli military doctrine integrates this humanitarian measure to distinguish terror operatives from the broader population, consistent with international law. Israeli officials stress that such measures are deployed in response to the embedding of Hezbollah’s military assets within civilian zones—a tactic that imperils Lebanese civilians in violation of the laws of armed conflict.
Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, has repeatedly affirmed Israel’s commitment to civilian safety amid the challenge of confronting adversaries who exploit residential areas for military gain.
RISING THREAT FROM HEZBOLLAH
Since October, Hezbollah has launched thousands of rockets and anti-tank missiles toward northern Israel, intentionally targeting civilian communities along the border. The organization, which is fully backed and armed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), operates from Beirut’s urban heartland, often using noncombatant populations as shields. Israeli and Western intelligence indicate Hezbollah has incorporated military infrastructure into residential buildings, mosques, schools, and hospitals, transforming civilian districts into launch zones and command centers. This entrenched presence in the Dahiyeh quarter has forced Israel’s hand in targeting sites deep within the Lebanese capital.
Iran’s involvement in Lebanon’s destabilization has been well-documented; the IRGC supplies Hezbollah with advanced weaponry, battlefield expertise, and strategic planning. The sustained cross-border fire underscores the extent to which Lebanon’s sovereignty has been eroded by Iranian influence and Hezbollah’s parallel state apparatus, which remains unaccountable to the Lebanese government or the United Nations.
REGIONAL CONTEXT: THE BROADER IRAN-ISRAEL CONFLICT
Israel’s actions in Beirut are part of a wider strategy to counter the Axis of Resistance—a network of Iranian-backed militias that, in addition to Hezbollah, includes Hamas, the Houthis in Yemen, and various Iraqi and Syrian groups. These entities are coordinated by Tehran for the explicit purpose of encircling Israel and orchestrating multi-front assaults. The United States and many European governments have echoed Israel’s concerns about the expanding regional threat posed by Iranian proxies, warning of the possibility of a larger conflict should current trends persist.
IMPACT ON LEBANESE CIVILIANS
Thursday’s warning strikes reignited traumatic memories among Beirut’s population, particularly in the Dahiyeh district, which suffered extensive damage during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. Many residents, already living under the strain of Lebanon’s grinding economic crisis, fled their homes after the warning impacts. Civilian testimony suggests that many had little, if any, forewarning that their buildings might be used by Hezbollah for military purposes.
Human rights monitors and neutral observers have increasingly documented cases where Hezbollah has commandeered residential property, exposing ordinary Lebanese citizens to grave danger without their consent. Israeli officials have repeatedly appealed to the Lebanese population to reject Hezbollah’s weaponization of their communities and to international actors to enforce United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for the disarmament of militias and the restoration of government authority across southern Lebanon.
INTERNATIONAL LAW AND RESPONSIBILITY
The IDF’s resort to non-lethal warning measures stands in contrast to the overwhelmingly indiscriminate attacks directed by Hezbollah and other terror groups at Israeli civilians. Israeli officials argue that by taking steps such as these warning strikes, Israel upholds its moral and legal obligations even as it faces adversaries for whom civilian casualties serve as tools of propaganda and strategic leverage.
The United Nations, while calling for restraint on both sides, has acknowledged that Israel’s warnings represent a degree of compliance with principles of distinction and proportionality under the laws of armed conflict.
HISTORICAL BACKDROP:
The risk of all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah recalls the catastrophic 2006 conflict, which left over 1,200 Lebanese and 160 Israelis dead and led to widespread destruction in both countries. Since then, Hezbollah has rebuilt its military capability to unprecedented levels, amassing an arsenal of more than 150,000 rockets, many supplied by Iran, and constructing underground fortifications throughout southern Lebanon and Beirut. The group’s refusal to disarm, and Lebanon’s inability to assert control over its territory, has created a persistent source of instability at Israel’s border.
ANALYSIS: ISRAEL’S STRATEGIC SIGNAL
By conducting targeted warning actions in Beirut rather than immediately proceeding to kinetic strikes, Israel is sending an unequivocal message to Hezbollah and its Iranian sponsors: efforts to entrench military infrastructure within civilian zones will not deter Israel from acting in self-defense, but every effort will be made to minimize loss of innocent life. The strikes also serve as a warning to Iran and its regional proxies that Israel retains both the capability and the will to respond decisively to any escalation from Lebanese territory.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have reiterated their government’s stance that Israel seeks no war with Lebanon but will respond with force to any aggression. They have called upon the international community to enforce existing resolutions and to hold Iran responsible for sponsoring terror on Israel’s borders.
OUTLOOK
With both sides maintaining high alert along the Israeli-Lebanese border, and Iran continuing to encourage confrontation through its network of proxies, the risk of further escalation is significant. The situation remains fluid and fraught with the potential for wider conflict, should Hezbollah continue its campaign or Israel determine that further strikes inside Lebanon are necessary for national security.
Thursday’s ‘knock on roof’ warning strikes signal a new phase in the ongoing confrontation—a phase in which Israel strives to balance its defensive imperatives against an unwavering commitment to uphold the safety of noncombatants, despite facing adversaries who systematically abuse civilian populations for tactical gain. The events in Beirut underscore the gravity of the threats Israel faces from Iranian-backed terror groups and the ongoing moral and strategic challenges in defending its population against attacks launched from within densely populated enemy territory.
