The Israeli military launched a series of heavy airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Thursday, targeting areas it said were being used by the armed group Hezbollah to rebuild its military infrastructure, despite a year-old ceasefire between the two sides.
The attacks came shortly after Israel issued multiple evacuation orders for villages near the border, including Aita al-Jabal, Al-Tayyiba, and Tayr Debba, instructing residents to remain at least 500 meters (1,650 feet) from identified sites.
Additional warnings were issued later for other locations. Lebanon’s civil defense helped residents evacuate, according to the state news agency.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said one person was killed and another wounded in the bombings, which began about an hour after the orders were announced.
Witnesses reported thick plumes of smoke rising over several southern towns, including Abbasiyeh, where an ironworks business was destroyed.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the strikes were part of efforts to prevent Hezbollah from rearming.
Government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian added that Israel “will continue to defend all of its borders” and “insist on the full enforcement of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel,” emphasizing that Hezbollah’s attempts to rebuild its capabilities would not be tolerated.
Hezbollah said in a statement that it remains committed to the ceasefire but maintains a “legitimate right” to resist Israel. The group has not fired on Israel since the truce took effect last year but continues to refuse full disarmament.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) condemned the Israeli strikes, calling them “clear violations” of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which established the buffer zone between Lebanon and Israel in 2006.
“We call on Israel to immediately cease these attacks and all violations of Resolution 1701,” UNIFIL said, urging restraint from both sides to prevent escalation.
Lebanon’s army also denounced the attacks, calling them “a continuation of the enemy’s destructive approach aimed at undermining Lebanon’s stability.”
Army commander Rodolphe Haykal, briefing the cabinet on Thursday, said troops were making progress in seizing Hezbollah weapons depots in the south and aimed to clear all arms outside state control by the end of the year.
Local officials voiced fears that the latest strikes could signal a return to broader conflict. “We are in a very dangerous situation,” said Farid Nahnouh, mayor of Tayr Debba. “If things keep heading this way, all hope is lost. No one knows where the consequences will lead.”
The latest flare-up underscores mounting tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border, raising concerns of a renewed confrontation between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
