Ahead of a strike in the southern Lebanese village of Toul, the IDF issued an Arabic-language evacuation warning, identifying a Hezbollah-linked building; the site was hit about an hour later, followed by multiple strikes across the country.
The Israel Defense Forces launched a broad wave of airstrikes across Lebanon on Thursday, targeting what it described as Hezbollah military infrastructure, including rocket launchers and weapons depots. The assault began with an unusual public warning: an Arabic-language message from IDF Spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee directed at residents of Toul, a village north of the Litani River in southern Lebanon.
Labeling the message an “urgent warning,” Adraee identified a specific building in the village allegedly used by Hezbollah and urged residents in and around the structure to evacuate immediately. “For your safety and the safety of your families, you must leave these buildings and move at least 500 meters away,” the message read. A map of the location was attached.
Roughly an hour later, the building was struck, and images from the scene showed thick smoke rising. Lebanese civil defense teams had been deployed to the area prior to the strike, and gunfire was reportedly heard in the village to prompt evacuations. A warning strike was also carried out before the main attack.
In the hours that followed, the IDF expanded its operation, striking additional targets across Lebanon. Attacks were reported west of Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley, in the southern city of Tyre, and in several other villages in the south.
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The IDF later confirmed responsibility for the broader wave of attacks, stating that fighter jets struck a “military site containing rocket launchers and weapons” in the Bekaa Valley, where Hezbollah activity had been detected. “Additional Hezbollah rocket and missile launchers and terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon were also targeted,” the IDF said. “The presence of weapons and Hezbollah operatives in these areas constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
Earlier in the day, Lebanese sources reported the death of a Hezbollah operative in an Israeli strike on the southern village of Rab Thalathin. The operative was identified as Haidar Mohammad Fakiya, reportedly affiliated with Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit. The IDF later confirmed it had carried out the strike using a drone.
Separate Lebanese reports also noted casualties from a drone strike in the village of Houla and injuries to a shepherd allegedly shot by Israeli forces in al-Wazzani. Additional damage was reported in the southern village of Muhaibib, where several prefabricated buildings were hit.
First published: 20:25, 05.22.25