JNS
No details were provided in the initial army statement about the operation.
The Israel Defense Forces attacked Hezbollah targets across Lebanon on Thursday in response to the Iranian-backed terrorist organization's "repeated violations of the ceasefire," the military said.
The IDF said it struck "several Hezbollah weapon storage facilities and additional terror infrastructure throughout Southern Lebanon," adding that "Hezbollah's activity at these sites constitutes a violation of the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon."
Before the strikes, steps were taken to mitigate possible harm to civilians," the statement added.
Hezbollah started attacking the Jewish state's north on Oct. 8, 2023, one day after the Hamas-led terrorist massacre in the south, opening a second front on the country's borders that lasted until a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Beirut and Jerusalem entered into effect on Nov. 27, 2024.
The truce terms required Hezbollah to be disarmed, starting in regions adjacent to the border, with the Lebanese Armed Forces mandated to establish a monopoly over weapons in the country under the terms of the ceasefire agreement and a subsequent Lebanese Cabinet decision.
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office in a Jan. 8 statement said that while Beirut's efforts were "an encouraging beginning," they were "far from sufficient" given Hezbollah's Iranian-aided rearmament efforts.
"The ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States between Israel and Lebanon states clearly, Hezbollah must be fully disarmed. This is imperative for Israel's security and Lebanon's future," Jerusalem said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly received a green light from U.S. President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., on Dec. 29 to restart the military campaign against Hezbollah.
On Sunday, the IDF conducted strikes throughout Southern Lebanon in response to what it described as Hezbollah's "continuous violations" of the ceasefire, killing terrorists and destroying terrorist "military" sites.
According to the IDF statement, it notified the Lebanese Armed Forces of the existence of one of the underground Hezbollah sites last week, but the LAF failed to dismantle it as required by the ceasefire deal.
