Israel carried out air strikes on Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon on Friday, escalating tensions a day after the Lebanese army said it had begun efforts to disarm the Iran-backed group.
Israel’s military said it carried out air strikes on Hezbollah targets across several parts of Lebanon on Friday, a day after the Lebanese army announced it had completed the first phase of efforts to disarm the Iran-backed group in the country’s south.
In a statement, the Israeli army said it struck “several areas in Lebanon”, targeting weapons storage sites and a weapons production facility that it said were being used to rebuild and strengthen Hezbollah’s military capabilities.
Lebanese state media reported a series of heavy Israeli air strikes across southern Lebanon. According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, Israeli warplanes carried out intensive attacks on areas between the towns of Kfar Fila and Ain Qana in the Iqlim al-Tuffah region, as well as nearby locations in the south.
The agency said additional strikes hit areas between the towns of Rihan and Sajd in the Jezzine district.
The Israeli army said it was “currently attacking Hezbollah targets in several areas of southern Lebanon”, claiming the strikes were aimed at infrastructure belonging to the group. It added that the targets included weapons depots and facilities used by Hezbollah to rearm and rebuild its forces.
In recent weeks, Israeli media have reported that the army has completed preparations for a possible large-scale offensive against Hezbollah if the Lebanese government and army fail to dismantle the group’s weapons by the end of 2025.
Lebanon and Israel have been observing a ceasefire since November 2024, which brought an end to more than a year of cross-border hostilities linked to the war in Gaza. The fighting left more than 4,000 people dead and around 17,000 injured.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces were expected to withdraw from southern Lebanon. However, the army has only partially pulled back and continues to maintain a presence at five border outposts.
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