Israel has carried out a large wave of air strikes in southern Lebanon, saying it was targeting positions of the Iranian-backed armed group Hezbollah.
The attacks came after evacuation warnings were issued for several locations. There has been no immediate report of casualties.
Israel has conducted aerial attacks almost daily against what it claims are Hezbollah-linked targets, despite a ceasefire that ended the recent conflict in November.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has called for the international community to pressure Israel to cease what he describes as intimidation and aggression, urging the fulfillment of ceasefire obligations.
Footage of the strikes posted online revealed massive plumes of smoke in the southern Lebanese village of Mais al-Jabal. An Israeli military spokesperson stated that the operations were aimed at disrupting Hezbollah’s activities and maintaining security in the region. However, specific evidence supporting this claim was not provided.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee remarked that the targets were related to Hezbollah’s weapons infrastructure, portraying their presence as a violation of prior agreements between Israel and Lebanon.
In response to the strikes, Prime Minister Salam questioned Israel's commitment to the ceasefire arrangements, requesting that international mediators exert pressure for Israel to halt further attacks and withdraw from Lebanese territory.
The ceasefire, brokered by the United States and France, stipulates that Lebanon should prevent Hezbollah and other armed groups from attacking Israel, while Israel should refrain from offensive operations against Lebanon.
Lebanon's government has tasked its army with establishing a monopoly on arms, a directive that Hezbollah has publicly declared it will ignore.
