Israel Hits Hezbollah Targets as Lebanon Ceasefire Comes Under Strain
By The Media Line Staff
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military Saturday to expand strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, as Israeli officials warned that a fragile ceasefire could fall apart less than two weeks after it took effect.
Netanyahu’s office said he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to strike Hezbollah “forcefully” in Lebanon. The IDF said it killed more than 15 Hezbollah fighters over the weekend and hit military infrastructure across southern Lebanon. The army said it would keep acting against threats under instructions from Israel’s political leadership.
The ceasefire is a diplomatic arrangement between Israel and Lebanon, but it has not fully halted Israeli operations against Hezbollah. Israel says it retains the right to act against immediate threats and Hezbollah military activity near its border, while Lebanon and Hezbollah view continued Israeli strikes, demolitions, and troop presence in parts of southern Lebanon as violations of the truce.
Lebanese media reported a wave of Israeli attacks across the south, including strikes on Hadatha, Zebqine, Bazourieh, Al Sultaniyah, and the Dabsha area near Khirbet Selm. One person was reported killed, and another was said to be wounded in an Israeli strike on Hadatha on Saturday night, after Israeli aircraft had already hit the town twice earlier in the day.
The Israeli army also carried out a controlled explosion in Khiam, while Lebanese reports said forces dismantled solar panels and damaged municipal vehicles in Debel.
Kan TV News quoted Israeli security officials as saying they feared the ceasefire could collapse. According to the report, Israel wants Washington to press the Lebanese army to move more aggressively against Hezbollah north of the Israeli-controlled security strip in southern Lebanon.
The truce began overnight April 16-17 after weeks of fighting tied to the US-Israeli war with Iran. President Donald Trump said Thursday that the current 10-day ceasefire would be extended for another three weeks.
Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has long been Lebanon’s strongest armed group. Israel says it will not allow the group to rebuild military positions near its northern border.
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