ALWAGHT- In the latest escalation, Israeli warplanes struck targets across southern Lebanon, further undermining a ceasefire that has been in place for nearly a year between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s state news agency reported that Israeli airstrikes hit multiple areas in the Jezzine and Zahrani regions on Friday, with at least a dozen raids targeting hills, valleys, and the outskirts of several towns. The Israeli military claimed the strikes targeted Hezbollah facilities, including a training compound for its Radwan Force, rocket-launching sites, and related infrastructure.
Israel says the attacks are part of its campaign to pressure Hezbollah into disarming, a demand the group rejects while Israeli bombardment and occupation persist. Tensions escalated sharply two weeks ago after an Israeli strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs killed senior Hezbollah commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai, marking one of the most serious violations of the year-old ceasefire.
The conflict has its roots in cross-border hostilities that began on October 8, 2023, following Israel’s war on Gaza, and later expanded into a full-scale war by September 2024. That escalation resulted in thousands of Lebanese casualties, including women and children, and the killing of Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Although a ceasefire was reached in November 2024, Israel has continued near-daily strikes and maintains its occupation of several strategic areas in southern Lebanon.
Recent attacks come as Lebanon and Israel have entered US-monitored indirect talks for the first time in decades, though US officials have acknowledged that the negotiations do not imply an end to Israeli airstrikes. Hezbollah leaders have criticized Lebanon’s participation in the talks, while reports indicate US backing for Israel’s continued military actions, underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire and the ongoing risk of further escalation.
