AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): “Israeli” fighter jets launched fresh airstrikes against southern Lebanon on Friday, in what Lebanese officials describe as another violation of the ceasefire agreement.
Lebanon’s state news agency said at least a dozen raids struck hills and valleys in the Jezzine and Zahrani regions, including areas near al-Aaichiyeh, between al-Zrariyeh and Ansar, around Jabal al-Rafie, and on the outskirts of several towns.
In a statement, the “Israeli” military claimed it targeted a compound allegedly used by Lebanese Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force for weapons training, along with rocket-launching sites and related infrastructure.
The strikes are part of what “Israel” says is a campaign aimed at forcing Lebanese Hezbollah to disarm. The resistance movement has repeatedly said it will not relinquish its weapons as long as “Israel” continues to bomb Lebanon and occupy parts of the country.
Tensions escalated sharply two weeks ago after “Israel” bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs, killing senior Hezbollah military commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai. His targeted killing marked one of the most serious ceasefire violations over the past year, as Washington continues to back “Tel Aviv’s” regional military actions.
Lebanese Hezbollah and “Israel” have exchanged fire since October 8, 2023, a day after “Israel” launched its war on Gaza following a Hamas-led operation. Hezbollah has said it will continue retaliatory attacks while the Gaza war persists.
By September 2024, “Israel” expanded the conflict into a full-scale war on Lebanon, killing more than 4,000 people and wounding around 17,000, most of them women and children. During the aggression, the “Israeli” military also assassinated Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayed Hassan Nasrallah.
Although a ceasefire was reached in November 2024, “Israel” has carried out near-daily strikes in southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah positions. Lebanese officials say these attacks violate the agreement.
“Israel” also continues to occupy five strategic areas in southern Lebanon: Labbouneh, Mount Blat, Owayda Hill, Aaziyyeh, and Hammamis Hill, all close to the border.
The latest attacks come as Lebanon and “Israel” have, for the first time in decades, sent envoys to a US-monitored committee in Beirut, a step toward expanding indirect talks encouraged by the Trump administration.
However, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa recently said “Israel’s” participation in talks does not mean airstrikes will stop, highlighting the fragility of the ceasefire. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem criticized Lebanon’s participation, calling it a “free concession” to the occupying regime.
Recent disclosures showed that former US President Joe Biden approved “Israel’s” continued strikes on Lebanon after the ceasefire. Former “Israeli” ambassador to Washington Michael Herzog said “Israel” secured a “side understanding” with the US to maintain what he called its “freedom of action.”
Herzog did not clarify whether such arrangements remain in place under President Donald Trump. With continued US backing, “Israel” has kept bombing southern Lebanon, killing more than 300 civilians, including women and children, since the ceasefire.
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