Israel strikes Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, violating ceasefire again

Friday 31 January 2025 - 11:04

Israel has launched a series of airstrikes on Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, marking yet another violation of the fragile ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah.

The Israeli military confirmed on Friday that it had targeted multiple Hezbollah positions near the Syrian border in the east. The strikes come amid escalating tensions following Israel’s decision to extend the deadline for withdrawing its troops from Lebanon. The army claimed that the attack focused on underground facilities allegedly used for weapons development and border sites suspected of being used for smuggling arms into Lebanon.

According to the ceasefire agreement signed in November, Israel was supposed to withdraw its forces by January 26, but it refused to comply. The deadline was later extended to February 18. The agreement also stipulated that the Lebanese army would deploy in the south while Hezbollah repositioned its forces north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the border.

Despite the accord, Israel has insisted it will not meet the deadline, citing what it describes as the Lebanese army’s failure to fulfill its obligations. In the past two months alone, Israeli operations have resulted in the deaths of at least 83 people in Lebanon, according to the country’s Ministry of Public Health. At least 228 others have been injured, many of them displaced civilians attempting to return to their villages.

Earlier this week, as thousands of displaced residents attempted to return home, Israeli forces reportedly killed at least 24 people in southern Lebanon. Lebanese media sources have documented repeated ceasefire violations, including attacks on border areas such as Taybeh and Kfar Kila.

On Wednesday, a drone strike injured at least five people in Majdal Selem, in southern Lebanon. Reports indicate that since the conflict began on October 8, 2023, and up to November 26, 2024, Israeli forces have killed at least 3,961 people and injured more than 16,520 across Lebanon.