Israeli airstrikes targeted Hezbollah weapons smuggling sites along Syria's border with Lebanon on Saturday, the Israeli military announced, citing violations of a fragile ceasefire. The strikes, which Israeli officials claim were necessary to stop weapons transfers to Lebanon, underscore the tenuous nature of the truce brokered by the United States and France just days earlier. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, Syrian authorities, or conflict monitors in Syria.
The ceasefire agreement, aimed at halting months of intense cross-border hostilities, stipulates that Hezbollah militants withdraw north of Lebanon's Litani River while Israeli forces return to their positions across the border. Yet, tensions remain high, with accusations of ceasefire breaches from both sides. Israel maintains that its military actions are permitted under the truce to counter Hezbollah's movements.
The Israeli strikes coincided with ongoing violence in Gaza, where Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed five people, including three employees of the humanitarian group World Central Kitchen (WCK), according to Palestinian health officials. The Israeli military stated that the strike targeted a militant linked to Hamas's October 7 attack and claimed the vehicle was not marked as an aid convoy nor coordinated with military authorities. WCK has yet to comment on the incident.
In Lebanon, many of the 1.2 million people displaced by the conflict have begun returning home despite warnings from both Israeli and Lebanese authorities to avoid certain areas. Meanwhile, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported another Israeli drone attack in the southern village of Majdal Zoun, wounding three people, including a seven-year-old child. The village, located near the Mediterranean Sea, remains close to where Israeli forces still operate.
The truce, which began on Wednesday, has seen intermittent clashes. Israeli forces claim to have seized hidden weapons from a mosque and conducted operations against "suspects" in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has yet to respond publicly to these claims or the broader ceasefire violations.
Hezbollah initiated its attacks on Israel on October 8, 2023, in solidarity with Hamas following the militant group's assault on southern Israel a day earlier. That attack killed 1,200 Israelis and saw over 250 hostages taken. The ensuing conflict in Gaza has been devastating, with Palestinian officials reporting over 44,000 deaths, many of them women and children.
Lebanon has faced significant casualties as well, with more than 3,760 killed in Israeli strikes, according to Lebanese health officials. These losses include numerous civilians, compounding the humanitarian crisis and raising fears of further escalation despite the ceasefire.
