Israel Launches New Airstrikes in Southern Lebanon Despite Ceasefire:

According to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), Israeli fighter jets carried out “several waves” of strikes on Mount Safi, the town of Jbaa, the Zefta Valley, and the area between Azza and Rumin Arki. The NNA reported that homes and buildings in these regions were damaged, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths. Israel confirmed the attacks in a post on X, saying its military targeted several Hezbollah-linked sites. The Israeli army claimed it struck a special operations training center used by the group’s elite Radwan Force. It also said it hit several buildings and a rocket-launching position. These attacks come shortly after Israel and Lebanon sent civilian delegates to join a military committee responsible for overseeing the ceasefire. This step was encouraged by the United States, which has been pushing both sides to expand their dialogue and reduce tensions. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Friday that Lebanon had chosen the path of negotiations with Israel. He said the current talks aim to stop Israel’s repeated strikes inside Lebanese territory. The existing ceasefire was brokered by the U.S. in 2024 and brought an end to more than a year of clashes between Israel and Hezbollah. However, Israel has continued to carry out near-daily strikes in Lebanon, claiming it is targeting Hezbollah positions. A United Nations report released in November said that at least 127 civilians, including children, have been killed in Lebanon since the ceasefire took effect. UN officials warned that Israel’s ongoing strikes could amount to “war crimes” under international law. Tensions rose even more last week when Israel bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs and killed Hezbollah’s top military commander, Haytham Ali Tabtabai. The group, still weakened after last year’s conflict, has not yet responded to the killing. Israel accuses Lebanon of failing to pressure Hezbollah to disarm. Lebanon denies this and says Israel continues to violate its sovereignty. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam recently said he wants the ceasefire monitoring system to play a stronger role by verifying Israel’s claims that Hezbollah is rearming. He also wants more oversight of how the Lebanese army is dealing with the group’s infrastructure. When asked if Lebanon would accept U.S. and French troops as part of a verification team, Salam said, “Of course.” Meanwhile, Hezbollah says it will not abandon its weapons as long as Israel continues its strikes and maintains its occupation of five disputed points in southern Lebanon. Israel’s ongoing airstrikes have sparked growing concern among Lebanese citizens who fear the conflict could expand once again.

NEWS