Israel continued carrying out drone strikes in southern Lebanon over the weekend, killing two people in different strikes and claiming that both were “key Hezbollah commanders” from the area, despite a paucity of evidence to that effect.
The first strike was against the town of Khiam, killing one person. The strike, according to locals, killed a man who was actively repairing plumbing at the time. The IDF claimed that the man was a member of the Radwan Force who was restoring Hezbollah infrastructure in violation of the ceasefire.
A later strike also killed someone in Yohmor, who Israel declared to be the “head of Hezbollah’s outpost in the area.” They claimed he too was in the process of restoring Hezbollah infrastructure at the time.
Such allegations are virtually constant for the hundreds of people Israel has killed in Lebanon since the ceasefire went into effect in November. If the IDF comments on who was killed, and they don’t always, it is to label them Hezbollah, generally a commander of some sort, and always a “violation” of the ceasefire.
Out of all these incidents, few of the slain have ever been confirmed to actually be associated with Hezbollah in any way, and despite Israel constantly claiming Hezbollah is violating the ceasefire, Hezbollah hasn’t launched a single strike across the border since the ceasefire went into effect 8 months ago. Israel, by contrast, has launched thousands of strikes on Lebanese soil, and is still occupying parts of the south, despite the ceasefire calling for the halt of all strikes and a pullout.
Israeli officials continue to play up the narrative of a Hezbollah threat hard, with IDF Col. Avi Marciano giving a lengthy interview over the weekend claiming Hezbollah wants to “slaughter us and rape our women.”
Col. Marciano also bragged about war trophies he had taken during last year’s invasion of Lebanon, and that “unfortunately” they didn’t destroy the entire villages they’d taken, citing Kfar Kela as an example, adding that his troops had made the village uninhabitable. He argues Israel is being “too merciful” to Hezbollah.
Though such comments aren’t formal Israeli policy as such, they’re representative of IDF leadership which is broadly in favor of just escalating wars beyond opportunity for conclusion under the assumption only that will lead to an acceptable conclusion. After thousands of post-ceasefire strikes, there are no signs that the strikes are going to halt.
