Israel has conducted airstrikes in southern Lebanon targeting what it claims is Hezbollah infrastructure, as a deadline approaches for the Lebanese state to disarm the group. The strikes come amid heightened tensions and Israeli rhetoric regarding Hezbollah’s presence in the region.
Israeli Airstrikes Target Southern Lebanon
Israeli warplanes bombed the valleys of Houmin, Wadi Azza and Nimeiriya in the Nabatieh area on Wednesday morning. Israeli drones were reported to be hovering over southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa valley following the strikes.
The Israeli military stated that it struck launching sites and military infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah, asserting that the group’s presence constitutes a violation of understandings between Israel and Lebanon.
Israel regularly strikes southern Lebanon, violating the more than-year-old ceasefire that ended a 13-month war with Hezbollah. According to ACLED, an independent conflict monitor, Israel has bombed Lebanon on average once every four hours since the ceasefire’s implementation.
Hezbollah launched one shelling into Israel in the week following the ceasefire’s establishment in December 2024.
Deadline for Disarmament
The airstrikes coincide with increasing Israeli pressure as a deadline nears for the Lebanese army to disarm Hezbollah south of the Litani River. Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, stated in November that there would be no calm in Beirut until Hezbollah is disarmed.
A US-approved plan requires the Lebanese army to clear Hezbollah infrastructure, weapons, and personnel from the area south of the Litani River by year’s end. Israeli forces are meant to withdraw, but continue to occupy five points in the south and conduct regular ground operations.
Lebanese officials claim to be nearing completion of Hezbollah’s disarmament in the south, regularly destroying old weapons caches. Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri stated on December 17th that the government was nearly finished with disarmament and that Lebanon is adhering to the ceasefire, while accusing Israel of continual violations.
Israel rejects this claim, asserting that Hezbollah is attempting to rebuild along its borders.
Recent Incidents and Diplomatic Efforts
On Monday, an Israeli drone strike killed three men in a car 10 miles south of Saida, Lebanon. Israel claimed one of the men, a Lebanese army warrant officer, was also a Hezbollah member involved in planning attacks on Israel. Lebanon’s army and Hezbollah denied any connection between the soldier and the armed group, calling the accusation a “malicious attack.”
Israeli media reports indicate that an expanded offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon is on the agenda for an expected meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump.
Despite the ongoing airstrikes, Israeli and Lebanese officials continue to meet in Naqoura to discuss the status of the ceasefire. Last Friday’s delegations included civilian representatives for the second time, drawing criticism in Lebanon, which views such inclusion as implicit recognition of Israel. The civilian representatives were intended to discuss nonmilitary issues, such as potential economic cooperation.
Israel maintains that its diplomatic engagement with the Lebanese state is separate from its military attacks on Hezbollah, pursuing both tracks simultaneously. The Lebanese state has appealed to the international community for assistance in halting what it describes as near-daily attacks on its sovereignty.
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