Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Thursday killed at least one person and injured nine, escalating tensions and drawing sharp condemnation from both the Lebanese government and Hezbollah as a violation of a year-old ceasefire.
The Israeli military claimed its targets were Hezbollah military installations, accusing the group of failing to disarm in accordance with last year’s agreement. Israel has conducted near-daily strikes despite the truce. Hezbollah, while committed to the ceasefire, has stated it will not disarm as long as Israel continues to attack Lebanese territory.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun denounced the attack as a “full-fledged crime under international humanitarian law, which criminalises the targeting, terrorising, and forced displacement of civilians.” He added that in the year since the ceasefire took effect, “Israel has spared no effort in showing its rejection of any negotiated settlement.”
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, the strikes hit residential areas in the Tyre district. A Lebanese man was killed and eight others were wounded in the town of Toura, while another person was injured in a separate attack on Tayr Debba. An Israeli warplane was also reported flying at a low altitude over Beirut’s southern suburbs in what is widely seen as an act of intimidation.
The timing of the attacks is considered an escalation, coming just hours after Hezbollah issued a statement rejecting any political negotiations with Israel. The statement followed reported pressure from the United States and Egypt for Lebanon to begin direct dialogue with Israel.
The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said Israel’s actions threaten civilians and undermine the Lebanese military’s efforts to control “unauthorized weapons and infrastructure” in the south. “Any military action, especially on such a destructive scale, threatens the safety of civilians and undermines the progress being made toward a political and diplomatic solution,” UNIFIL stated.
The strikes follow recent warnings from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz that operations in Lebanon could intensify. Israel has followed a similar pattern in Gaza, where a ceasefire with Hamas has not stopped Israeli forces from conducting attacks.
Lebanon and Israel technically remain at war, with communication limited to a UN-backed monitoring mechanism. The ceasefire agreement tasks the Lebanese army with disarming Hezbollah, but the group refuses to comply while Israeli forces continue attacks and maintain a presence in five areas of southern Lebanon. The situation has remained volatile since Israel assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in September 2024, significantly weakening the group’s senior command.
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