Israeli Air Force strikes Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon

Despite the IDF’s efforts, Hezbollah is rebuilding its forces, and the repeated Israeli strikes could culminate in another round of fighting.

By JNS

The Israel Defense Forces struck and dismantled on Thursday Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in several areas in Southern Lebanon, the military said.

Several rocket launching sites were targeted, as well as a storage facility that contained weapons and military posts that were used by Hezbollah terrorists to advance attacks against IDF troops, the army stated.

“The presence of the infrastructure sites and the activity of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in these areas constitute a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the IDF said.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has set Dec. 31 as the deadline for the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah, according to diplomatic sources with knowledge on the matter, Israel Hayom reported on Thursday.

Should Beirut fail to disarm the Iranian-backed group, the responsibility will rest with it, which could grant Israel the political legitimacy to launch another military campaign against the terrorist group, the newspaper’s correspondent Ariel Kahana reported.

“One year ago today, a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon went into effect. Under that agreement, Hezbollah was supposed to fully disarm and dismantle its terror and military infrastructure. They did neither,” said IDF International Spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani on Thursday.

“Instead, Hezbollah has spent the year rebuilding and rearming with the backing of the Iranian regime. As long as Hezbollah poses a threat to Israel, we will continue to do whatever is necessary to defend ourselves,” he added.

The truce went into effect on Nov. 27, 2024, following an intense two-month campaign by the Israel Defense Forces that led to the decapitation of Hezbollah’s leadership.

The agreement was cemented by the Israeli and Lebanese governments, and five mediating countries, including the United States.

The terms of the ceasefire stipulate that Southern Lebanon must be demilitarized, with the Hezbollah Shi’ite group disarmed.

This gives Israel a broad platform to enforce the terms of the truce, with frequent Israeli Air Force strikes against Hezbollah efforts to rebuild itself, as well as ground operations into the largely empty villages on the Lebanese side, situated along the border, while the terrorist group refrains from firing back.

Israel Hayom credits this situation to former Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who shaped the terms of the agreement on Israel’s behalf.

However, despite the IDF’s efforts, Hezbollah is rebuilding its forces, and the repeated Israeli strikes could culminate in another round of fighting, the report added.

Last week, the IAF killed the Hezbollah terrorist group’s “chief of staff,” Haytham Ali Tabatabai, in Beirut in a targeted airstrike.

The military operation against the No. 2 leader in the terrorist organization—which was dubbed “Black Friday”—was the first Israeli strike on Beirut since July and came nearly a year to the day since the ceasefire entered into force.

On Nov. 23, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu one again urged Beirut to disarm Hezbollah.

“I expect the government of Lebanon to fulfill its commitment to disarm Hezbollah,” said Netanyahu as he confirmed the death of Haytham Ali Tabatabai, the group’s No. 2 after Secretary-General Naim Qassem.

Only through Beirut fulfilling its commitments under the Nov. 26, 2024, ceasefire understandings with Jerusalem, Netanyahu said, “can a better future be made possible for every citizen in Lebanon—and only in this way can good and secure neighborly relations be established.”