Israel continues to carry out strikes against southern Lebanon. After killing at least five people Sunday night into Monday, the strikes continued against the south and left at least two more people killed later on Monday, both involving attacks on vehicles.
The first strike targeted a car in the town of Hanin, killing one person within. A second strike attacked a van in Tallouseh, killing a second person. In both cases, the IDF claimed that the slain were “Hezbollah” members, but offered no evidence to support those allegations.
The rate of strikes against Lebanon have been on the rise for months, and seem to be escalating even further lately, with Israeli media suggesting the attacks are part of a planned prelude to a new war with Iran.
Map of Israel Lebanon border. Green circles indicate the five outposts Israel continues to occupy.
In addition to the persistent strikes by the IDF against functioning vehicles, the Israeli government is emphasizing that they don’t intend to withdraw from southern Lebanese territory, even though the November 2024 ceasefire was meant to see them leave by January of 2025.
Defense Minister Israel Katz says that the troops will stay in all of the military outposts Israel established in Lebanon “outside” of the terms of the ceasefire. He insists that Israel “imposed” that occupation and the US accepted it, therefore it is allowed to continued irrespective of the ceasefire terms.
Katz is ruling out even considering a withdrawal from those outposts until after the Lebanese government fully forcibly disarms Hezbollah nationwide. Hezbollah has already been disarmed south of the Litani River, as the ceasefire required, but Israel is demanding that include the entire nation, something Hezbollah is resisting.
Lebanese officials have suggested finalizing a disarmament north of the river will take at least four months, but even that seems extremely optimistic without Hezbollah’s cooperation. Hezbollah has repeatedly suggested that the only way they would approach such a possibility is after Israel isn’t occupying Lebanese territory and not launching regular attacks on Lebanon, and through Israel’s various demands, that’s one thing they’re not openly considering.
