Israel Launches New Strikes on Southern and Eastern Lebanon Despite Ceasefire

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Israel carried out a series of airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon on Thursday, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, as the Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure, including a military compound used for training.

The strikes come despite a ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024 that was intended to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah. While the ceasefire formally halted large-scale fighting, Israel has continued periodic strikes across Lebanon and has maintained troops in five areas of southern Lebanon it considers strategically significant.

Lebanese media reported that several of Thursday’s strikes hit mountainous areas in both the south and the east of the country. In a statement, the Israeli military said it had targeted “terror infrastructure sites in multiple areas across Lebanon,” including what it described as “a military compound used by Hezbollah to conduct training and courses for its members.”

In a separate statement, the Israeli army said it also struck “a Hezbollah terrorist in the area of Taybeh in southern Lebanon,” without providing further details.

The renewed strikes come ahead of a scheduled meeting on Friday of the ceasefire monitoring committee, which includes the United States and France, alongside other stakeholders. The committee was established to oversee the implementation of the November 2024 agreement, which required Hezbollah to withdraw north of the Litani River and dismantle its military infrastructure in the south, while Israel was expected to halt attacks and withdraw its forces.

Tensions have remained high since the ceasefire took effect. On Tuesday, two people were killed in Israeli strikes, including one attack roughly 30 kilometers south of Beirut. According to an AFP tally based on Lebanese health ministry figures, around 340 people have been killed by Israeli attacks since the ceasefire agreement entered into force.

The latest escalation comes as the Lebanese Army has sought to demonstrate progress in implementing the ceasefire and asserting state control in the south. Earlier this week, the army hosted ambassadors, chargés d’affaires, and foreign military officials on a field tour to showcase its efforts to dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, particularly in areas south of the Litani River.

Army chief Rodolphe Haykal said the tour was meant to highlight the armed forces’ commitment to the first phase of the government’s plan, despite limited capabilities. Lebanon has formally committed to disarming Hezbollah, beginning with positions south of the Litani before gradually addressing the rest of the country.

However, Hezbollah has repeatedly resisted calls to disarm, while Israel continues to conduct strikes and retain troops at key border positions. Observers warn that failure to fully implement the ceasefire terms risks triggering a wider escalation, amid ongoing regional tensions involving Iran, Israel, and Western allies.

As the monitoring committee prepares to convene, Lebanon remains caught between international pressure to deliver tangible progress on disarmament and the persistent reality of Israeli military actions, underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire along its volatile southern border.