Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Israeli forces carried out a wave of intense airstrikes on southern Lebanon overnight, marking the most severe attacks on the area since the ceasefire agreement reached in November of last year. According to Lebanese media reports, the strikes targeted areas believed to house Hezbollah infrastructure, and signal a dangerous escalation in cross-border tensions.
At least 15 airstrikes were conducted by Israeli warplanes, with explosions reported across several towns in the south. The Israeli military confirmed the strikes, stating that they were aimed at “removing any threat” posed by Hezbollah and specifically targeted what it described as militant infrastructure.
“We will act to eliminate any threat against us,” the Israeli army said in a statement, defending the overnight raids as a preemptive and necessary response to recent provocations, without specifying what those provocations were.
The airstrikes come amid rising tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border, where intermittent fire and drone activity have persisted in recent weeks despite the ceasefire. The fragile truce, brokered after months of hostilities that displaced thousands and killed scores on both sides, now appears increasingly at risk.
No official casualty figures have yet been released by Lebanese authorities, but emergency services in the region reported significant damage to residential and agricultural areas. Local sources indicated that several of the targeted sites were in or near civilian zones, prompting concerns about potential civilian harm.
The Lebanese government has not yet issued a formal response, but political leaders in Beirut have previously warned that any sustained Israeli aggression could reignite broader conflict across the region.
Hezbollah has not officially commented on the latest strikes. However, the group’s leadership has vowed in recent weeks that it would respond to any violations of Lebanese sovereignty, raising fears that a new cycle of retaliation could be imminent.
The Israeli strikes also coincide with rising regional instability, including ongoing tensions in Gaza and intensified rhetoric between Israeli leaders and militant groups. Analysts warn that simultaneous escalations on multiple fronts could overwhelm efforts to maintain calm and potentially draw external actors into a widening conflict.
As international actors urge restraint, the situation remains tense. Diplomats and observers are closely monitoring both Israel’s next moves and Hezbollah’s potential response, aware that a single miscalculation could unravel months of delicate negotiations and reignite open war on the northern front.
