Israeli air strikes across Lebanon killed two people, with strikes reported in the Bekaa Valley and several southern villages including Khirbet Selm and Derdghaya. Lebanon’s Health Ministry and local media reported one fatality and injuries from a warehouse strike; another victim was identified by outlets as school teacher Mohammed al-Hussayni. Israel said it targeted a Hezbollah "weapons manufacturing site" but offered no public evidence. Lebanese officials say they have removed Hezbollah weapons south of the Litani River and plan further phased disarmament amid mounting regional tensions.
Israeli Airstrikes Kill Two in Lebanon — Latest Breach of November Ceasefire
(Al Jazeera)
Israeli air strikes across Lebanon killed two people in what Lebanese state media described as another near-daily violation of the November 2024 ceasefire with Hezbollah.
State-linked National News Agency (NNA) reported strikes in the eastern Bekaa Valley and multiple southern villages, including Bouslaiya and Aita al-Shaab. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said a strike on a warehouse in Khirbet Selm, Bint Jbeil district, killed at least one person and wounded another.
NNA also reported a separate strike in Derdghaya, east of the coastal city of Tyre, that killed a second person; several Lebanese outlets named the victim as Mohammed al-Hussayni, a school teacher.
Claims and Attribution
The Israeli military said the Khirbet Selm strike targeted a Hezbollah "weapons manufacturing site," a claim issued without public evidence. Lebanese and international outlets reported the fatalities and injuries based on official Lebanese sources and local media.
Wider Context
Officials and analysts fear the strikes could signal preparations for a wider Israeli campaign to disarm Hezbollah amid heightened regional tensions, including speculation about possible U.S. and Israeli action targeting Iran, Hezbollah’s principal regional backer.
Lebanese authorities said they completed removal of Hezbollah arms from south of the Litani River (about 28 km/17 miles from the Israeli border) earlier this month and intend to continue a multi-phased disarmament plan. The next phase is planned for the area between the Litani and Awali rivers, roughly 40 km (25 miles) north of the border.
Lebanese officials also say Israel continues to occupy five positions inside Lebanese territory and that the Israeli army has levelled several border villages and blocked reconstruction, preventing residents from returning. Hezbollah has rejected disarmament north of the Litani, arguing that its weapons are necessary to deter and resist Israeli attacks and occupation.
Note: Some claims in earlier coverage — including descriptions of heavy losses among Hezbollah’s senior leadership — are reported in local and regional outlets; independent verification of all such claims is limited.
Hezbollah has urged the Lebanese government to intensify diplomacy and press international ceasefire sponsors, notably the United States and France, to compel Israel to stop violating the truce.
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