Panic broke out on the streets of Beirut’s southern suburbs and traffic was blocked after Israel called for the evacuation of several areas in anticipation of an attack on facilities the Israeli military said were being used by the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement.
Some residents fired into the air to call for evacuation, but most fled their homes.
The Ani news agency reported that warning shots were also fired by Israeli soldiers.
The panic over the planned attack came ahead of Eid al-Adha.
The Israeli military said it would “soon strike underground drone production sites” deliberately located among civilians in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Israel regularly carries out strikes across Lebanon, targeting what it says are Hezbollah targets or fighters despite a ceasefire. Israel says it has US support for its actions against Hezbollah.
