Ahead of Disarmament Talks, Israel Strikes Hamas and Hezbollah Targets Across Lebanon

Israel’s air force carried out a series of coordinated strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday, targeting what it described as military infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah and Hamas. The attacks come at a politically delicate moment, as Lebanon prepares for renewed discussions on disarming Hezbollah forces in border areas under intense international pressure.

According to reports from the Associated Press, the strikes took place only days before Lebanon’s army commander is scheduled to address the cabinet on progress and challenges related to disarmament efforts near the Israeli frontier. The issue has become increasingly contentious amid pressure from both Israel and the United States to curb Hezbollah’s military presence in southern Lebanon.

Avichay Adraee, the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesperson, issued public warnings on social media platform X approximately two hours before the strikes. He announced that Israeli forces would target Hamas and Hezbollah positions in two villages in the eastern Bekaa Valley and two additional locations in southern Lebanon.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that “any site used for terror activity by Hezbollah or Hamas will be targeted,” describing the struck locations as part of a broader network of militant infrastructure posing a direct threat to Israeli security.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that one of the Airstrikes hit a house in the Bekaa Valley village of Manara. The property reportedly belonged to Sharhabil al-Sayed, a Hamas military commander who was killed in an Israeli drone strike in May 2024.

Significantly, Monday’s strikes extended well beyond the immediate border zone and occurred north of the Litani River. Lebanese officials told the Associated Press that the government aims to remove all armed Hezbollah elements from the area south of the Litani by the end of 2025, in line with post-war security arrangements.

While the Lebanese army has already begun disarming Palestinian factions in parts of the country, Hezbollah’s vast arsenal remains the most politically and militarily sensitive issue. Army chief General Rudolph Haikal is expected to attend Thursday’s cabinet meeting, where the topic will once again be debated amid deep internal divisions.

The renewed push to disarm Hezbollah follows a 14-month conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed group. The fighting erupted after Hamas launched a major attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel the following day, triggering months of escalating cross-border violence.

In September 2024, Israel intensified the conflict by launching a large-scale bombing campaign across Lebanon, followed by a ground operation that eliminated much of Hezbollah’s senior military and political leadership. A ceasefire brokered by the United States eventually halted the fighting in November 2024.

Despite the truce, Israeli strikes have continued almost daily. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has reported that at least 127 civilians have been killed in Israeli attacks carried out after the ceasefire took effect.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said that two people were injured on Monday when an Israeli drone strike hit a vehicle in the southern village of Braikeh. Israeli authorities stated that the strike targeted two Hezbollah operatives.

As Lebanon’s government weighs the risks of confronting Hezbollah internally, Israel’s continued military actions underscore the fragile nature of the ceasefire and the growing urgency surrounding disarmament negotiations in the region.