UPDATE - Israeli fighter jets target southern Lebanon, flouting cease-fire deal

ADDS DETAILS, BACKGROUND

By Mohammad Sio

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Israeli army announced attacks on targets in southern Lebanon late Monday, violating a less than week-old cease-fire agreement.

A military statement said the Israeli army is “currently striking targets in Lebanon. Details to follow.”

Lebanon's official National News Agency reported that Israeli warplanes carried out two airstrikes near the town of Jbaa and the area between Houmine El-Fawqa and Deir al-Zahrani.

The agency added that Israeli warplanes also carried out airstrikes on multiple areas in Iqlim al-Tuffah.

Additionally, Israeli drones flew over the capital Beirut, including its southern suburbs, it said.

Israeli aircraft also targeted the town of Arnon in the Nabatieh region, as confirmed by the Lebanese broadcaster.

Several people were injured as Israeli warplanes carried out an airstrike on a house in the town of Haris in Bint Jbeil district of southern Lebanon, according to an Anadolu correspondent.

An Israeli military statement later said they had detected rockets launched toward northern Israel, prompting air raid sirens in Lehavot HaBashan, southeast of Kiryat Shmona.

Later the Israeli military said in a statement that its air force “struck Hezbollah operatives, dozens of launchers and infrastructure throughout Lebanon.”

It added that it “struck a Hezbollah launcher in the area of Berghoz in southern Lebanon shortly after the launch of two projectiles toward Mount Dov.”

Earlier, Hezbollah said it targeted the Israeli site of Ruwaisat Al-Alam in the Kfar Shuba hills, calling it a “preliminary defensive warning” against Israel's continued violations of the cease-fire agreement.

According to Israel Army Radio, Hezbollah fired two rockets toward the Har Dov area (Shebaa Farms), which landed in open fields without causing injuries.

The situation has prompted Israeli ministers, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, to demand a strong response to Hezbollah, signaling that “the era of containment is over.”

Last Wednesday, a cease-fire agreement between Lebanon and Israel took effect meant to end over 14 months of fighting between the Israeli army and Hezbollah.

However, Israel has violated the cease-fire multiple times, conducting attacks on Lebanese territory that have resulted in casualties.

Under the terms of the cease-fire, Israel is to withdraw its forces south of the Blue Line de facto border in a phased manner while the Lebanese army deploys its forces in southern Lebanon within a maximum of 60 days.

Implementation of the agreement is to be overseen by the US and France, but details on enforcement mechanisms remain unclear.

Nearly 4,000 people have been killed and more than 16,500 injured in Israeli attacks in Lebanon and over 1 million displaced since October 2023, according to Lebanese health authorities.