File photo: People check the site where an Israeli strike destroyed a building at a commercial district, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon (Picture credit: AP)
Israel’s military said it carried out air strikes on Hezbollah targets in several parts of Lebanon on Friday, a day after the Lebanese army announced it had completed the first phase of its plan to disarm the Iran-backed group in the country’s south.In a statement, the Israeli military said it struck “several areas in Lebanon”, targeting “weapons storage facilities and a weapons production site that were used for the rehabilitation and military build-up of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation”. It added that several launch sites, rocket launchers and military structures were also hit.Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) reported that the strikes targeted areas in southern Lebanon far from the border, as well as the eastern Bekaa region, where Hezbollah has a strong presence. No casualties were immediately reported, according to news agency AFP.The strikes came despite a ceasefire that ended two months of all-out war in November 2024, following more than a year of hostilities. Under the truce, Hezbollah was required to withdraw its forces north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometres from the Israeli border, and dismantle its military infrastructure in the evacuated areas. However, Israel has continued regular strikes in Lebanon, saying it is targeting Hezbollah sites and operatives, and has maintained troops in five areas of southern Lebanon it considers strategic, accusing the group of attempting to rearm. “The targets that were struck, and Hezbollah’s reestablishment activity in these sites, constitute a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon, and pose a threat to the State of Israel,” the Israeli military said.The strikes came a day after Lebanon’s army said it had “achieved the objectives of the first phase” of its plan to disarm Hezbollah in the area south of the Litani River, with the intention of extending the process to the rest of the country. Lebanon has been under intense international pressure, particularly from the United States, to disarm Hezbollah following the ceasefire.Reacting to the Lebanese army’s announcement, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel viewed the efforts as an encouraging beginning but insufficient..“The ceasefire agreement… states clearly, Hezbollah must be fully disarmed,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement, adding that steps taken by the Lebanese government and armed forces were “an encouraging beginning, but they are far from sufficient,” as per AFP.Despite the ceasefire, tensions have remained high. Lebanese official media said an Israeli strike on Thursday killed one person near the southern city of Sidon, while Israel’s army said it had targeted a Hezbollah operative.The Lebanese army has said it has taken over security in southern areas long dominated by Hezbollah and dismantled infrastructure there, a process it described as ‘effective and tangible’, but with more work to be done, reported BBC. However, Hezbollah has refused to surrender its weapons, and has said it will not disarm north of the Litani River, where it retains a strong presence, including in the Bekaa Valley.Israel has accused Hezbollah of trying to rebuild its military capabilities, while Lebanese authorities have rejected those claims, saying continued Israeli strikes violate the ceasefire and complicate the army’s efforts to stabilise the south. Go to Source
