Israeli jets strike southern Lebanon towns, escalating near-daily attacks

Israeli airstrikes hit several towns in southern Lebanon on Thursday, representing a significant escalation in their military campaign against Hezbollah. The strikes occurred just hours after the militant group urged the Lebanese government to avoid negotiations with Israel.

Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for residents in multiple border towns, including Tayba, Teir Debba near the coastal city of Tyre, and Aita al-Jabal. Civilians were instructed to move at least 500 meters away from residential buildings allegedly being used by Hezbollah. Additional warnings followed for Zawtar al-Sharqiyah and Kfar Dounin.

The Israeli military stated it was targeting Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, specifically “weapons storage facilities constructed in the center of civilian-populated areas.” Israel accused the Iran-backed group of rebuilding its capabilities in violation of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that ended intensive fighting last year. Most residents evacuated the areas before the strikes, though Lebanon’s health ministry reported one person wounded.

“We will not allow Hezbollah to rearm themselves, to recover, build back up its strength to threaten the state of Israel,” Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian asserted at a Thursday briefing.

The military action came as Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and his government were meeting in Beirut to advance a plan drafted by the Lebanese military aimed at disarming Hezbollah and other non-state armed groups. Information Minister Paul Morcos noted that the cabinet “commended the progress the army has made despite continued obstacles, foremost among which is the continuation of Israeli hostilities.”

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who has been critical of Israel’s ongoing strikes and occupation of five strategic hilltops on Lebanese territory, had previously expressed openness to negotiations with Israel. However, following Thursday’s escalation, Aoun released a statement saying, “Every time Lebanon expresses its openness to peaceful negotiations, Israel intensifies its aggression.”

“Nearly a year has passed since the ceasefire came into effect, and during that time, Israel has spared no effort to demonstrate its rejection of any negotiated settlement between the two countries,” he added. “Your message has been received.”

The Lebanese government, which has backed disarming Hezbollah, claims Israeli strikes have targeted civilians and non-military infrastructure, while Israel maintains its operations are directed specifically at Hezbollah leadership and military assets. The militant group’s capabilities were severely damaged during Israel’s intensive air campaign in 2024, but Hezbollah’s leader Sheikh Naim Kassem has vowed that the organization remains prepared to fight despite limited capabilities.

Both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire that nominally ended hostilities last November. The conflict originated after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza. Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas and the Palestinians, provoking Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling in response. These exchanges gradually escalated into full-scale war in September 2024.

Since the ceasefire took effect, Lebanon’s health ministry has reported more than 270 people killed and approximately 850 wounded by Israeli military actions. The U.N. human rights office has verified that at least 107 of those killed were civilians or noncombatants, according to spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan. No Israelis have been killed by fire from Lebanon during this period, with Hezbollah claiming responsibility for only one attack since the agreement was implemented.

Separately on Thursday, the U.S. Treasury announced new sanctions targeting “financial operatives who oversee the movement of funds from Iran” to Hezbollah. The sanctions focus on licensed and unlicensed money exchange shops that allegedly “fail to conduct adequate screening on their customers” and enable Hezbollah “to take advantage of Lebanon’s largely cash-based economy to launder illicit money.”

The escalation reflects the ongoing fragility of the ceasefire and raises concerns about the potential for renewed large-scale conflict in a region already destabilized by multiple overlapping crises.