Israel strikes southern, eastern Lebanon amid ceasefire

Israel carried out a series of airstrikes on Thursday, targeting several areas in southern and eastern Lebanon, reported Xinhua, quoting state-run National News Agency (NNA).

Israeli warplanes launched multiple raids on the heights of the eastern Mountain Range and an area in the Baalbek district of eastern Lebanon, the NNA reported, adding Israel also launched several airstrikes on targets in southern Lebanon at around 10:35 p.m. local time (2035 GMT).

Prior to the airstrikes, Israeli aircraft conducted intensive low-altitude flights over the town of Rashaya and western Bekaa, while flying at higher altitudes over the city of Hermel and northern Bekaa in eastern Lebanon. Israeli jets were also seen over Beirut and its suburbs, according to the report.

These developments come despite the ongoing ceasefire agreement between the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and the Israeli military, which took effect on Nov. 27, 2024, and was meant to end more than a year of cross-border clashes triggered by the war in Gaza.

The agreement stipulated that Israel would withdraw from Lebanese territory within 60 days, while the Lebanese army would be deployed along the Lebanese-Israeli border and in the southern region, ensuring that no weapons or militants remain south of the Litani River.

However, Lebanon's caretaker government announced on Jan. 27 that it had agreed to extend the ceasefire until Feb. 18, after the initial 60-day period expired without an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

Despite the truce, the Israeli military has continued to launch occasional strikes in Lebanon, claiming they are aimed at eliminating "threats" posed by Hezbollah.