Israel Conducts Airstrikes in Lebanon, Focusing on Hezbollah Targets

The Israeli air force executed airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday and into Tuesday morning, particularly impacting Sidon, the country’s third-largest city.

Around 1 a.m. on Tuesday, a three-story commercial building in the southern coastal district of Sidon was demolished. The structure, located in a commercial area with workshops and mechanic shops, was not occupied. One individual was transported to a hospital, while rescue teams conducted searches in the vicinity, though no deaths were reported.

Previously on Monday, Israeli forces targeted multiple sites in southern and eastern Lebanon, claiming these areas were utilized by Hezbollah and Hamas militants. This wave of strikes followed a warning from the Israeli military spokesperson regarding impending attacks on eastern Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanese villages. The bombing in Sidon was unannounced, and no official statement has been provided by the Israeli military as of now.

In the Bekaa Valley, a house in the village of Manara was struck; the residence belonged to Sharhabil al-Sayed, a Hamas military leader killed in an Israeli drone strike in May 2024. After the warnings issued, the targeted locales were evacuated, resulting in no reported casualties. Moreover, a drone strike on a vehicle in the southern village of Braikeh injured two individuals, with Israel asserting the strike aimed at Hezbollah members.

The Lebanese army has been working on disarming Palestinian armed factions since last year, with the government planning to eliminate Hezbollah’s military presence from the southern Litani area by the end of 2025. Discussions regarding Hezbollah’s disarmament are set to take place on Thursday with army commander Gen. Rudolph Haikal.

The airstrikes on Monday affected villages north of the Litani River, growing more distant from the Israeli border. This latest round of disarmament efforts follows a prolonged conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which erupted on October 8, 2023, after Hamas launched attacks on southern Israel. Hezbollah retaliated by firing rockets into Israel, leading to Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion in September 2024. The war concluded with a U.S.-mediated ceasefire in November 2024.

Post-ceasefire, Israel has consistently conducted airstrikes, predominantly targeting Hezbollah operatives. These operations have also reportedly resulted in the deaths of over 127 civilians, as per the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.