The Israeli Air Force on Thursday carried out strikes in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley, targeting infrastructure that Hezbollah was rebuilding in violation of the understandings underlying last year’s ceasefire. Lebanese sources said one person was killed and six others were wounded.
The ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed terrorist group, which went into effect on Nov. 27, 2024, sought to halt hostilities following months of fighting. But the IDF says that Hezbollah has been attempting to rebuild weapons networks and underground facilities, prompting the strikes.
Israeli strikes on Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon
In the first wave, Israeli jets and intelligence units struck subterranean infrastructure in the Beqaa and southern Lebanon used to store arms. The military said the facilities were part of Hezbollah’s efforts at reconstruction, which “constitutes a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon. The IDF will continue to operate in order to remove any threat to the State of Israel.”
Hours later, additional strikes focused on targets in southern Lebanon linked to Hezbollah and sites belonging to an organization known as Green Without Borders, which presents itself as an environmental NGO but is widely considered a Hezbollah front. The IDF said it hit a quarry used to produce concrete for rebuilding terrorist infrastructure destroyed in earlier operations. It accused Green Without Borders of concealing reconstruction efforts under civilian cover.
In Lebanon, President Joseph Aoun denounced the strikes as part of a “systematic policy” aimed at undermining Lebanon’s economy and stability under false security pretexts.
The strikes come amid international efforts to monitor and enforce the ceasefire through a joint Israel-Lebanon mechanism. In November 2024, the United States, France, Israel and Lebanon established a framework to oversee compliance, including a role for the Lebanese Armed Forces and the UN peacekeeping mission known as UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon).
Recently appointed Maj. Gen. Joseph Clearfield now serves as the U.S.’s senior military representative in Lebanon and leads the joint monitoring body. He emphasized cooperation with the Lebanese army, UNIFIL and France to secure stability and uphold the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, local Israeli groups warn of rising violations along the northern border. The Fighting for the North command said recent months have seen a sharp uptick in border infractions, accusing Hezbollah of using civilian structures to approach the border and prepare for hostile activity. Authorities in the border town Kiryat Shmona echoed those concerns, saying the terrorist group is inching forward “step by step” under the guise of civilian works.