IDF strikes Hezbollah operatives in eastern Lebanon; 6 reported killed, 2 wounded
Military says targets were seen at weapons manufacturing site in Beqaa Valley, ‘blatantly’ violating the ceasefire agreement
The Israeli Air Force carried out a strike in eastern Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley on Saturday that the military said targeted Hezbollah operatives at a weapons manufacturing site.
Lebanon’s state news agency reported six dead and two wounded in the strike.
“The strike was carried out after the terrorists were identified operating at a site for manufacturing and storing strategic weapons,” the Israel Defense Forces said, adding that any activity at the Hezbollah site was a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, which came into effect late November.
“The IDF continues to operate to remove any threat to the State of Israel and will prevent any attempt by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to rebuild its forces, in accordance with the ceasefire understandings,” the military added.
The Beqaa Valley area is north of the Litani River, beyond which Hezbollah is required to withdraw under the ceasefire agreement.
The fragile ceasefire deal has been in place since November 27, 2024, after more than a year of hostilities, including two months of all-out war.
The conflict began with Hezbollah’s cross-border rocket and drone attacks on October 8, 2023, the day after the Palestinian terror group Hamas led thousands of terrorists in a devastating invasion of southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and triggering war in the Gaza Strip.
The Iran-backed group said its attacks were to support Gaza. By the time the ceasefire came into effect, Israel had decimated Hezbollah’s leadership and depleted its fighting capabilities.
Under the deal, Hezbollah must pull back north of the Litani — some 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Israel’s border — while Israel is entitled to strike threats it considers imminent, and forward less imminent threats to a monitoring committee comprising representatives of Lebanon, Israel, France, the United States and UNIFIL.
Under the truce deal, Lebanon’s military was to deploy in the south alongside UN peacekeepers as the Israeli army withdrew over 60 days.
The withdrawal period for Israeli forces was delayed to February 18 after Jerusalem requested an extension from the original January 26 deadline. Israel said that it needed to stay longer because the Lebanese army had not deployed to all areas of southern Lebanon, as agreed.
In addition to pulling back its forces north of the Litani River, Hezbollah is also committed to dismantling any remaining military infrastructure in the south.
Israel’s military says its forces have continued to uncover and seize Hezbollah weapons in prohibited areas and that the Lebanese army is not keeping to its part of the deal.
