Israel says it struck four Syria–Lebanon border crossings it accused of being used to smuggle weapons for Hezbollah, after strikes in southern Lebanon killed two and wounded nearly 20. Lebanese authorities condemned the attacks as violations of sovereignty and said they undermine efforts to disarm Hezbollah under the 2024 ceasefire. An AFP tally reports more than 350 deaths in Lebanon since the November 2024 truce, and calls for de-escalation continue.
Israel Strikes Four Syria–Lebanon Crossings, Kills Two in Southern Lebanon — Lebanon Condemns Ceasefire Breach
People flee as smoke rises after an Israeli air strike in the village of Qanarit, south Lebanon, on Wednesday [Mohammed Zaatari/AP Photo]
Israel said it struck four crossing points along the Syria–Lebanon border that it alleged were being used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons, after earlier strikes in southern Lebanon killed two people and wounded nearly 20.
The strikes came despite a US-brokered ceasefire that ended more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in 2024 — a truce that Lebanon says Israel has repeatedly violated.
"Once again, Israel is pursuing a policy of systematic aggression by carrying out air strikes on inhabited Lebanese villages, in a dangerous escalation that directly targets civilians," Lebanon's president said in a statement late on Wednesday. "This repeated aggressive behaviour reaffirms Israel's refusal to abide by its obligations arising from the cessation of hostilities agreement."
The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that at least 19 people were wounded in air strikes on the southern town of Qanarit. State-run media and local sources said buildings were hit in several south Lebanon towns and villages, including al-Kharayeb, al-Ansar, Qanarit, Kfour and Jarjouh, after the Israeli army warned it would target sites inside Lebanon.
Earlier the same day, the Health Ministry said strikes on vehicles in Zahrani (Sidon district) and Bazuriyeh (Tyre district) each killed one person. AFP reporters described a charred car on a main road in Sidon with debris scattered across the area; an AFP photographer and two other journalists were slightly injured while covering a heavy strike in Qanarit.
The Israeli military said on social media it had targeted four border crossings on the Syria–Lebanon frontier used for "weapons transfer" and claimed it had "eliminated" a "key Hezbollah weapons smuggler" in the Sidon area.
The Lebanese army condemned the strikes as a "blatant violation of Lebanon's sovereignty," saying the attacks targeted civilian buildings and homes and undermined efforts to implement the ceasefire's disarmament plan for Hezbollah.
Broader context
Hezbollah has rejected calls to surrender its weapons amid renewed Israeli strikes. According to an AFP tally, more than 350 people have been killed in Lebanon since the ceasefire was signed in November 2024 despite the agreement. International actors continue to urge de-escalation and respect for the cessation of hostilities as humanitarian concerns grow in affected southern communities.
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