BEIRUT: Israel carried out a series of airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday, one of its heaviest bombardments of the region since last year’s ceasefire ended the war with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group. According to the Israeli military, the strikes targeted a Hezbollah infrastructure site in the south.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported at least one person killed and eight others injured in the attacks, which left thick columns of smoke rising from the hilltops in the Nabatieh region, located around 12 kilometers (8 miles) from the Israeli border. The bombardment marks a continuation of Israel’s regular airstrikes in southern Lebanon since the ceasefire, as it also struck Hezbollah-controlled areas in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
While Hezbollah has not commented on the strikes, it has previously stated that it withdrew its forces from the southern region, in line with the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement. Under the ceasefire terms, both Hezbollah and other armed groups are prohibited from holding weapons near the border south of the Litani River. The agreement also mandates Israel’s withdrawal of troops from southern Lebanon, a step Israel has not fully implemented, as it still maintains troops on five hilltop positions in the region.
Tensions remain high as Lebanon and Israel continue to accuse each other of failing to fully implement the ceasefire deal. While Hezbollah’s leader, Naim Qassem, has affirmed the group’s compliance with the terms, Lebanese authorities have arrested Palestinian militants for launching rockets towards Israel in two separate incidents, prompting Israeli airstrikes in retaliation.
The 2024 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah had escalated after Hezbollah opened fire in solidarity with Hamas at the beginning of the Gaza war, a move that significantly intensified the region's instability.
