Daijiworld Media Network - Beirut
Beirut, Dec 18: Israel conducted a series of airstrikes across southern and northeastern Lebanon on Thursday, targeting Hezbollah infrastructure and military positions as a deadline approaches for the militant group’s disarmament along the tense Israel-Lebanon frontier.
The strikes came a day before the second meeting of the committee monitoring a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, which ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict last year. The mechanism, now including civilian members from both Israel and Lebanon alongside representatives from the U.S., France, and the U.N. peacekeeping force, is tasked with enforcing the ceasefire and stabilising the border.
According to the Israeli military, the airstrikes hit Hezbollah training compounds, weapons storage sites, and military structures from which the group recently operated. The National News Agency of Lebanon reported that the strikes extended from Mount Rihan in the south to Hermel near the Syrian border, with a subsequent drone strike near Taybeh injuring civilians.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri described the operation as a message timed to coincide with the Paris meeting, aimed at supporting the Lebanese army’s increased presence along the border. Lebanese authorities have said the army should have cleared all Hezbollah armed presence south of the Litani river by year-end.
The latest Israel-Hezbollah war erupted on October 8, 2023, following Hamas attacks in southern Israel, when Hezbollah fired rockets in solidarity. Israel’s subsequent bombardment and ground operations in Lebanon significantly weakened the group, though UN reports indicate 127 civilians were killed during the campaign.
In recent weeks, the U.S. has intensified pressure on Lebanon to act decisively toward disarming Hezbollah, ahead of diplomatic discussions scheduled in Paris involving Lebanese army officials and representatives from the U.S., France, and Saudi Arabia. The meetings aim to strengthen Lebanese army control and reduce Hezbollah’s armed presence along the border.