ALBAWABA- Israeli warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes on southern Lebanon early Thursday, targeting what the Israeli military described as Hezbollah military infrastructure in the towns of Aita al-Jabal and Tair Daba.
The attacks mark a significant escalation in cross-border tensions despite a U.S.-brokered truce between Beirut and Tel Aviv that took effect last November.
Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee announced on X that Israel had begun “a wave of strikes targeting Hezbollah’s military sites in southern Lebanon,” adding that the operations aim to counter Hezbollah’s “attempts to rebuild its activities in the area.”
He issued urgent warnings to residents of several southern Lebanese towns, including Taybeh, Tair Daba, and Kafr Dunin, urging them to evacuate specific buildings identified on Israeli military maps and to keep a distance of at least 500 meters for their safety.
According to Israeli Channel 12, echoes of powerful explosions were heard across the Upper Galilee and Golan Heights as Israeli jets struck multiple targets in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported that the airstrikes were being conducted “in coordination with the Americans,” and that the broader goal was to “enable Israel to disarm Hezbollah” if the Lebanese army fails to do so.
In response, Hezbollah reaffirmed what it called its “legitimate right to resist the occupation and aggression,” vowing to defend Lebanon’s sovereignty alongside the national army and population. The group rejected what it termed “aggressive blackmail” and dismissed any notion of entering political negotiations under pressure.
Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has instructed the army to respond to any new Israeli incursions, following an incident last week in which Israeli forces reportedly crossed the border and killed a local government employee.
