Israel Launches Fresh Air Raids On Southern Lebanon — Fragile Ceasefire Under Strain

Israel’s military carried out multiple waves of air strikes across southern Lebanon, damaging several homes in areas including Mount Safi, Jbaa, the Zefta Valley and the corridor between Azza and Rumin Arki, Lebanese state media reported. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

In a post on X, the Israeli military said it targeted a number of sites it linked to Hezbollah, including a special-operations training compound used by the group’s elite Radwan Force, several buildings and a rocket-launching position.

Context And Diplomatic Moves

The strikes came days after Israel and Lebanon dispatched civilian envoys to a military committee established to oversee the ceasefire between the two sides — a step encouraged by the United States as part of broader efforts to expand talks. Lebanese officials say negotiations are intended to halt the continuing Israeli attacks on their territory.

Lebanon’s government has urged a more active role for the ceasefire monitoring mechanism to verify claims that Hezbollah is rearming and to supervise Lebanese Army efforts to dismantle armed infrastructure. When asked whether Lebanon would accept US and French troops as part of such a verification mechanism, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the country would consider their presence.

Human Costs And Escalation Risks

A United Nations report released in November recorded at least 127 civilian deaths, including children, in Lebanon since the ceasefire took effect in 2024. UN officials warned that some strikes could amount to "war crimes." Tensions rose further after an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs last week killed Haytham Ali Tabtabai, described as Hezbollah’s top military commander; the group has not publicly retaliated.

UN Note: The UN has raised concern that repeated strikes on populated areas risk breaching international humanitarian law.

The ongoing strikes have stoked fears inside Lebanon that Israel might expand its air campaign. Hezbollah has said it will not surrender its arms while Israel continues strikes on Lebanese territory and maintains what the group describes as occupation of sites in the country’s south. The Lebanese government rejects Israeli accusations that it is not doing enough to compel Hezbollah to disarm.

The situation remains fragile: diplomatic engagement continues even as military incidents test the limits of a ceasefire brokered in 2024.