Israeli Airstrikes Hit Southern Lebanon Despite Year-Old Ceasefire Agreement

The airstrikes sent thick plumes of smoke into the sky. (Representational)

Beirut:

Israeli military conducted intensive airstrikes on southern Lebanon Thursday following evacuation orders for several areas, claiming Hezbollah was attempting to rebuild its military infrastructure there.

These strikes and evacuation orders occurred despite a ceasefire agreement reached a year ago intended to end over a year of conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, and following months of Lebanese army operations to clear Hezbollah positions in southern regions.

The Lebanese health ministry reported a preliminary toll of one person wounded in the afternoon bombardment, with one fatality from earlier strikes that day.

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued three simultaneous evacuation notices on X at 3 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) Thursday, with maps identifying buildings in the villages of Aita al-Jabal, Al-Tayyiba and Tayr Debba. Two additional orders followed for other southern towns.

These locations ranged from just 4 km (2.5 miles) from the Israeli border to nearly 24 km north of the frontier.

Residents were instructed to maintain a 500-metre (1,650-foot) distance from the identified locations. Lebanon's civil defence assisted with evacuations, according to Lebanese state news agency.

The airstrikes commenced approximately one hour after these orders, generating thick smoke clouds in the sky.

Concerns have been growing in Lebanon that Israel might resume full-scale aerial bombardment, particularly after Israeli leadership warned they would take action against Hezbollah if Lebanon failed to increase efforts to disarm the group.

"We are in a very dangerous situation; if things keep heading this way... then all hope is lost. No one knows where the consequences of these matters will lead," said Farid Nahnouh, mayor of Tayr Debba.

IRONWORKS SHOP DESTROYED

While Israel has conducted regular strikes targeting what it describes as Hezbollah military facilities and group members in south Lebanon over the past year, these rarely came with evacuation orders.

"Israel will continue to defend all of its borders, and we continue also to insist on the full enforcement of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel," Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian told reporters on Thursday.

Bedrosian emphasized that Israel would not permit Hezbollah to rearm or recover the military capacity that was diminished by Israel's ground and air campaign in 2023-24.

Hezbollah stated Thursday it remained committed to the ceasefire, but maintained a "legitimate right" to resist Israel. The group has refused complete disarmament but has not hindered army operations in the south and has refrained from firing on Israel since the truce took effect last year.

The evacuation warnings coincided with a Lebanon cabinet meeting receiving updates from army commander Rodolphe Haykal regarding progress in confiscating Hezbollah weapons depots in southern Lebanon.

The army has indicated it could clear southern Lebanon of non-state-controlled weapons by year-end. Two senior Lebanese security officials told Reuters hours before Thursday's heavy strikes that their forces were making increasingly rapid progress on disarmament efforts.

Thursday's strikes destroyed an ironworks business in the southern Lebanese town of Abbasiyeh.

"This shop was supporting five to six households, overall five to six homes," said Ahmad al-Kayyal, who owned the business. "Brother, what does a blacksmith do? For heaven's sake: chairs, tables, doors, windows, railings. What does he make? That's the blacksmith's job."