Israel is preparing for the possibility that the ceasefire with Hezbollah could collapse “at any moment,” amid rising tensions along the northern border, military officials said Wednesday.
The assessment comes after Hezbollah claimed responsibility for launching a drone into Israeli territory and additional violations were reported in recent days.
Lebanese media reported Wednesday that two journalists, Amal Khalil and Zeinab Faraj, were wounded in an Israel airstrike in the village of A-Tiri in southern Lebanon. According to the reports, Red Cross teams were dispatched to evacuate them. Later reports said two bodies and Faraj were recovered, while Khalil remained trapped, with Lebanese officials blaming Israel for difficulties in reaching her.
Lebanon’s president, Joseph Aoun, said he was following developments and instructed the Red Cross to continue rescue efforts. A senior Lebanese army official told Reuters that an Israeli drone dropped a grenade near rescue teams, adding that Lebanon had appealed to Israel through the United States to allow access to the area.
The IDF said the area had been evacuated of civilians and that the incident is under review. It said forces identified two vehicles leaving a Hezbollah military structure and approaching troops after crossing the forward defense line.
After determining they were violating the ceasefire, the air force struck one vehicle and later targeted a building where the operatives fled, the military said. The IDF added it does not target journalists and is not preventing rescue teams from accessing the area.
The developments come as the United States urges both sides to maintain the ceasefire while negotiations with Iran continue, and Israeli officials say operational flexibility is being limited by American pressure.
Israel is continuing efforts to clear areas up to what officials describe as a new security line, but acknowledges the operation is not yet complete. Military officials say Hezbollah is attempting to establish new “rules of the game” during the ceasefire and reorganize its forces.
“The ceasefire is fragile,” Israeli military officials said. “It could collapse at any moment. We are determined to complete the security zone to prevent direct fire on communities in the north.”
Hezbollah has carried out several attacks in recent days, including a drone launch into Israel on Independence Day and rocket fire at IDF forces in southern Lebanon. Another drone was intercepted Wednesday while still over Lebanon, the military said. A separate interceptor was launched due to a false identification.
The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has been called back to Washington for consultations. The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem said he returned to take part in another round of direct talks between Israel and Lebanon, led by the State Department.
U.S. officials expressed cautious optimism about the talks, saying progress is possible if Hezbollah is excluded from the process.
Separately, the IDF said that before the ceasefire took effect, forces from the 769th Brigade, supported by the air force, carried out a raid on Hezbollah infrastructure in the village of Debin, about 12 kilometers (7 miles) from the border.
During the operation, troops from the Tzabar Battalion of the Givati Brigade raided a Hezbollah staging compound where terrorist activity and plans for attacks were identified, according to the military.
More than 70 targets were struck within hours and more than 20 terrorists were killed in close-quarters combat and airstrikes, the IDF said.
“The IDF will continue to operate decisively to remove threats, ensure the security of civilians in Israel and strengthen forward defense,” the military said.