In rare ground raid, IDF targets Hezbollah in southern Lebanon

Tensions are rising as Israel braces for a possible new round of fighting with Hezbollah.

By World Israel News Staff

The Israeli military carried out a rare ground raid inside southern Lebanon early Thursday, targeting a municipal building used by Hezbollah — an extremely unusual operation since the November 2024 ceasefire that ended a yearlong conflict between Israel and the terror group.

According to the IDF, troops entered the Lebanese town of Blida around 1:30 a.m. and raided the local city hall, which the army said was being used by Hezbollah “for terror purposes.”

“Hezbollah regularly engages in terror activity under the guise of civilian infrastructure,” the Israeli military said in a statement.

“This is another example of a pattern of behavior that endangers the residents of Lebanon and reflects Hezbollah’s cynical exploitation of civilian infrastructure for terror purposes,” the army added.

Lebanese media reported that one Lebanese national, named as Ibrahim Salameh, was killed during the raid.

In a statement, the IDF confirmed that one person had been killed in the course of the operation.

“Once an immediate threat to the soldiers was identified, [the troops] opened fire to remove the threat, and a hit was identified,” the army said.

Israeli forces reportedly withdrew from Blida around 4 a.m., several hours after the operation began.

Later on Thursday morning, at approximately 10 a.m., Lebanese outlets reported that Israeli aircraft carried out strikes in the nearby town of Jarmaq.

The IDF confirmed those reports, saying it had targeted a rocket launcher and tunnel shaft used by Hezbollah.

In recent weeks, the Israeli military has intensified its operations against Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon, citing increased terror activity in the area.

Under the terms of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement, Israel is permitted to take action against imminent threats from the Iran-backed terror group.

Hebrew-language media outlets have reported that Israeli security and intelligence officials are preparing for the possibility of renewed conflict with Hezbollah, as the group rebuilds its infrastructure and resumes militant activity in southern Lebanon.