An Israeli airstrike has hit Bourj Hammoud, one of Beirut’s best-known Armenian-populated areas. The strike marks the first time Bourj Hammoud has been targeted during the latest escalation, as Lebanon’s Armenian community remains on high alert amid Israel’s expanding military campaign.
The strike hit Nabaa, a quarter of the Bourj Hammoud district, causing a fire in a residential building. According to Shahan Kandaharian, editor of Aztag Daily, there were no Armenian casualties.
Just yesterday, Kandaharian told Zartonk Media that although Armenian neighborhoods in Lebanon had largely remained away from the main frontlines, the uncertainty and broader fallout from the war were fueling crises across the country and affecting the Armenian community as well.
“At the moment, the southern suburbs of Beirut are being hit by rocket attacks. Southern Lebanon is also being heavily bombarded. The Israeli attacks have caused hundreds of thousands of displaced people to leave their homes,” Kandaharian told Zartonk Media.
Some schools in Beirut have closed due to safety concerns, but Armenian schools remain open. Kandaharian added that Armenian political parties are holding successive meetings, while charitable organizations are coordinating relief efforts in case displaced civilians seek shelter in Armenian neighborhoods.
He said that while Armenian quarters had largely been spared from direct attacks until now, the humanitarian and economic consequences of the conflict were already weighing heavily on Lebanese Armenians.
“The Armenian quarters are far from the conflict zones. However, the uncertainty and the consequences of the war are very heavy for the Lebanese people, and for the Lebanese Armenians,” he said.
Kandaharian also noted that military clashes between Hezbollah and Israel had intensified across southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut.
“The targets are military, but collateral damages are being reported,” he said.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least 634 people have been killed and 1,586 wounded so far, including dozens of women, children, and paramedics, while Lebanese authorities have reported that more than 816,000 people have been displaced, with 126,000 taking shelter in 589 collective shelters.
The United Nations has warned that Lebanon faces “a moment of grave peril.” UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the Security Council in New York that “mass displacement is accelerating” as Israeli attacks continue.
The strike on Bourj Hammoud marks a serious shift for one of Lebanon’s most important Armenian population centers, as the community balances daily life with growing concern, humanitarian preparedness, and close monitoring of the rapidly evolving crisis across Lebanon.
