Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed one person and injured eight others on Thursday, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. The strikes targeted areas near Nabatiyeh, just 12 kilometers from the Israeli border. Despite a ceasefire agreement, Israeli jets launched two waves of heavy attacks that caused widespread panic among residents, especially children in nearby schools.
Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that huge explosions shook the Nabatiyeh region, sending thick smoke into the sky and triggering fear throughout the southern districts. Ambulances rushed to the scene while parents hurried to collect their children from school. Witnesses described hearing around ten consecutive blasts that terrified both students and teachers.
The Israeli military said the attacks targeted Hezbollah infrastructure, including tunnel shafts and weapons storage sites. It added that the strikes were aimed at a command site used by Hezbollah to manage its operations. According to Israel, this facility violated the ceasefire terms and was part of a major underground project that has now been disabled.
Just one day earlier, an Israeli strike killed a Hamas commander in Sidon, raising concerns that hostilities may spread further. Under the November ceasefire deal, Hezbollah agreed to pull its fighters north of the Litani River, while Israel was to withdraw from Lebanese territory. However, Israeli forces remain in five border locations, which they claim are of strategic importance.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun recently stated that the Lebanese army now controls over 85 percent of the southern border area. He emphasized that full control is impossible until Israeli troops leave the remaining positions. Lebanon has urged the international community to pressure Israel into ending its attacks and fully withdrawing its forces.
Although Hezbollah has lost much of its strength since the last full-scale war, the issue of disarming the group remains sensitive. President Aoun has called for dialogue, saying that enforcing a state monopoly on weapons must be handled carefully. Meanwhile, UN resolutions continue to call for only Lebanese forces and UN peacekeepers to operate in the south.