Israeli Airstrikes in Lebanon Kill Four, Target Hezbollah Weapon Sites

Israeli Airstrikes in Lebanon Kill Four, Target Hezbollah Weapon Sites
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A series of Israeli airstrikes conducted Thursday evening in south and east Lebanon resulted in the deaths of four people, according to the Lebanese health ministry, Arab News reported.

The Israeli military confirmed the strikes, stating they targeted Hezbollah “infrastructure used for producing and storing strategic weapons” in both south Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described one of the targeted sites as Hezbollah’s “biggest precision missile manufacturing site.”

These latest strikes follow more than a year of hostilities, including two months of intense conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which largely concluded with a November ceasefire. Despite the truce, Israel has maintained near-daily aerial operations in Lebanon and has threatened to continue them until Hezbollah is disarmed. Defense Minister Katz stated, “Any attempt by the terrorist organization to recover, re-establish or threaten will be met with relentless intensity.”

Under the terms of the November ceasefire, Hezbollah was to withdraw its fighters north of the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border. Conversely, Israel was to withdraw all its troops from Lebanon but has maintained a presence in five areas it considers strategic.