Daijiworld Media Network - Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv, Jan 6: Israel carried out a series of airstrikes on multiple Hezbollah and Hamas positions in Lebanon, including the coastal city of Sidon, Israeli and Lebanese sources reported.

Social media footage showed widespread destruction and thick smoke rising over Sidon after an Israeli strike around 1 a.m. local time on Monday. The attacks reportedly continued into early Tuesday. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency confirmed that a commercial building in Sidon’s industrial area was destroyed. Israeli media Kan TV reported several injuries, though there were no immediate reports of fatalities.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strikes targeted weapons storage facilities and military structures—both above and below ground—used by Hezbollah for operations against Israel and to rebuild its military capabilities. The IDF also confirmed that Hamas weapons production sites in southern Lebanon were hit.

On Monday night, Israeli aircraft struck buildings in four southern Lebanese villages and near the eastern border. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that four houses were destroyed, shops and vehicles were damaged, and an unexploded missile blocked a road. A Lebanese security source said the air force carried out around 10 strikes across the region.

The attacks came just days before a planned Lebanese government meeting to discuss disarming Hezbollah in border areas with Israel.

Israel has occasionally launched strikes in Lebanon, citing threats from Hezbollah, despite a US- and French-brokered ceasefire between the two sides that has been in place since November 27, 2024.