When the Israeli conflict with Iran erupted on Friday, there was immediate concern that Lebanon would be dragged into yet another war, and officials were quick to contact Hezbollah, and urge them not to retaliate against Israel. Hezbollah reportedly agreed over the weekend that they won’t participate in Iran’s retaliation.
But that’s not to say that Lebanon will be spared an Israeli war. Israel has launched thousands of strikes against Lebanon since the ceasefire went into effect in November, and though Hezbollah has not fired a single rocket back, those daily attacks have not slowed, and have largely escalated.
On Saturday, Israeli drones fired two missiles at the town square in Beit Lif, in southern Lebanon. Seven civilians were wounded in the attack, some of them in the vehicle that the drones were apparently targeting.
A vehicle was targeted Saturday in Beit Lif | Image from X
The IDF did not comment on the attack. It is common, however, that the IDF will attack functional vehicles within southern Lebanon and then argue that the driver is in some way a high-ranking Hezbollah figure. As is so often the case, it appears everyone hit here was a civilian.
Israeli drone sightings were also reported in other parts of the south, though as of yet no attacks have been reported. Such drones are effectively omnipresent in that part of Lebanon, though when they are flying low it raises fear of imminent attacks. A strike was reported against a vehicle near Kfar Kila as well, though it didn’t hit the vehicle and no one was injured in that case.
Hezbollah’s ability to retaliate against Israel has been called into question, because they just finished a war against Israel in November, one which “ended” with continued Israeli attacks and an occupation, and after the regime change in Syria to a hostile Sunni Islamist faction, Hezbollah no longer had a convenient land-based route to rearm. At the same time, Israel makes multiple claims a week of Hezbollah rearming, at least as an attempt to justify their continued attacks on Lebanese soil.
Lebanon has been trying to reach a deal to disarm Hezbollah outright, but that’s proving challenging so long as Israeli missiles continue to rain down on the country. A plan to disarm Palestinian factions within Lebanon has also been put on hold, according to officials, pending further consultation with the Fatah movement.
