Israel strikes multiple Hezbollah targets, claims ceasefire mechanism did not address threats

The Israel Defense Forces announced early on Monday morning that they had conducted “intelligence-based strikes on a number of Hezbollah terror targets in Lebanon.” 

The Israeli military said that before the strikes were carried out, “the threat posed by the targets to the Israeli home front and IDF troops was presented to the monitoring mechanism of the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon.” 

However, it also claimed that those threats “were not addressed.” 

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) targeted a rocket launcher site, a military installation, and routes along the Syria-Lebanon border used to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah.

Lebanon's National News Agency reported several Israeli airstrikes throughout the country, including Janta in the eastern Baalbek region, and near Nabatiya in the south. 

Hezbollah-affiliated news sites also reported strikes in the areas of Deir El Zahrani and Houmine El Faouqa in the Nabatiya region, as well as in the Bekaa Valley. 

The IDF Spokesperson's Unit stated, “The IDF continues to act to remove any threat to the State of Israel and will prevent any attempt by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to rebuild its forces in accordance with the ceasefire understandings.” 

The strikes come just days after U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein reportedly promised Lebanese leaders that Israel would complete its withdrawal of troops before the Jan. 26 deadline set by the ceasefire deal. 

According to the terms of that deal, Hezbollah must fully withdraw all of its forces and weapons north of the Litani River by Jan. 26, while the IDF must similarly withdraw its ground troops from the southern Lebanese territory by the same date. 

In a report on Sunday, Israeli public broadcaster Kan News said that IDF troops conducting sweeps of areas under Israeli control are continuing to discover hidden Hezbollah weapons caches, including rifles, mortars, and anti-tank missiles. 

Israeli officials previously indicated their willingness to stay in Lebanon if the Lebanese army does not take action to occupy territory vacated by IDF soldiers. 

During his inauguration speech last Thursday, newly-elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun vowed to assert the government’s right to maintain a monopoly on weapons and expressed his intention to invest in the state military to secure Lebanon's borders. 

The Hezbollah terrorist organization, which was supposed to be disarmed under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, has frequently argued that it must continue to possess weapons to defend Lebanon against “Israeli aggression.”

Aoun’s comments were understood by many in the country as a warning to Hezbollah not to interfere in the Lebanese army’s operations in the south.