The Israeli military conducted air strikes in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah activities that it deemed a threat, shortly after a fragile ceasefire was established between Israel and the Iran-backed group. This action also extended to strikes on military infrastructure located on the Syria-Lebanon border, where Israel accused Hezbollah of smuggling weapons, which would violate the terms of the truce.
In a recent address, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated his government’s readiness to accept a ceasefire following a protracted period of hostilities with Hezbollah. However, he emphasized that Israel would retain “full military freedom of action” in case of any violations. The military asserted that its operations on Saturday involved four separate strikes on Hezbollah facilities, weapons, and vehicles, stressing that they were necessary to address activities that posed a threat to Israel and breached ceasefire agreements.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported that an Israeli strike on a car in Majdal Zoun resulted in injuries to three individuals, including a seven-year-old child. Furthermore, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency highlighted ongoing ceasefire violations by Israel, including an incident involving an Israeli tank that allegedly crushed several vehicles and surrounded families until they were evacuated by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
In addition to the strikes in Lebanon, Israel’s military announced actions targeting military infrastructure sites close to border crossings between Syria and Lebanon, which they claimed were being utilized by Hezbollah for weapon smuggling after the ceasefire came into effect.
The ceasefire, intended to halt more than a year of cross-border violence and two months of full-scale war, began early in the week. According to the agreement, the Lebanese army and United Nations peacekeepers are supposed to deploy in southern Lebanon, while the Israeli army is set to withdraw over the next 60 days. Hezbollah is also obligated to pull its forces north of the Litani River, approximately 20 miles from the Israeli border, and dismantle its military infrastructure in the southern region.
On Friday, Hezbollah’s chief Naim Qassem expressed the group’s commitment to collaborating with the Lebanese army to uphold the terms of the agreement. Reports from NNA indicated that Lebanon’s army chief, Joseph Aoun, met with U.S. Major General Jasper Jeffers to discuss the situation and coordination among involved parties. General Jeffers has come to Beirut to co-chair the mechanism for monitoring the cessation of hostilities.
The toll from the ongoing conflict has been significant, with Lebanon’s health ministry reporting at least 3,961 deaths since the escalation began in October 2023, the majority occurring in recent weeks. Israeli sources have recorded at least 82 military personnel and 47 civilian fatalities since the start of hostilities.
Israel’s military operations intensified following a major attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which led to the deaths of 1,207 people, predominantly civilians. The retaliatory strikes by Israel in Gaza are reported to have resulted in over 44,000 fatalities, according to figures from the Hamas-controlled health ministry, a statistic regarded as credible by the United Nations.
In parallel, Hamas’s armed wing released a video on Saturday featuring Edan Alexander, an American-Israeli hostage. In the video, Alexander called for pressure on the Israeli government to secure the release of hostages, addressing both President-elect Donald Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu. The Hostage Families Forum stated that the video served as irrefutable evidence of the hostages’ suffering, emphasizing that their return could only be achieved through negotiations.
Additionally, the U.S. charity World Central Kitchen announced a suspension of its operations in Gaza following an Israeli air strike that targeted a vehicle carrying its staff. The Israeli military confirmed that the strike resulted in the death of a Palestinian employee, whom they accused of participating in the October 7 assault. While World Central Kitchen acknowledged the strike, they refrained from confirming any fatalities, asserting that they were still gathering information. Civil defense officials indicated that multiple fatalities, including at least three World Central Kitchen employees, had occurred as a result of the strike. Israeli representatives have urged the charity to investigate the hiring practices of their personnel in connection to the October 7 incident.
