Israel launches new wave of air attacks on Lebanon, straining fragile ceasefire

Israel says it targeted Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, adding pressure to a US-brokered ceasefire.

Israel launches new wave of air attacks on Lebanon, straining fragile ceasefire
Israel launches new wave of air attacks on Lebanon, straining fragile ceasefire

In a series of recent airstrikes, Israel targeted southern Lebanon, raising tensions amid ongoing efforts to maintain peace. Lebanese state media reported that Israeli jets struck multiple locations, including Mount Safi, Jbaa, the Zefta Valley, and areas between Azza and Rumin Arki, causing damage to homes but no immediate reports of casualties.

The Israeli military announced that the strikes focused on sites linked to Hezbollah, including a special operations training camp used by its elite Radwan Force, as well as several buildings and a rocket-launching site.

These attacks follow recent diplomatic efforts, as Israel and Lebanon sent civilian envoys to a military committee overseeing the ceasefire a move encouraged by the United States to expand negotiations.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun indicated Lebanon is open to negotiations aimed at halting Israel’s ongoing strikes, which have continued nearly daily despite the ceasefire brokered by Washington in 2024.

The ceasefire, which ended over a year of intense clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, remains fragile.

A UN report from November highlighted that at least 127 civilians, including children, have been killed in Lebanon since the ceasefire took hold, with UN officials warning that some strikes may constitute war crimes.