The Israeli Air Force on Thursday attacked a Hezbollah rocket facility in Lebanon after detecting terrorist activity in violation of the ceasefire agreement, the Israel Defense Forces said.
“A short time ago, terrorist activity was identified in a facility used by Hezbollah to store medium-range rockets in Southern Lebanon,” the IDF confirmed. “The threat was thwarted through a fighter jet attack.
“The IDF is deployed in Southern Lebanon and acting and thwarting any violation of the ceasefire agreement,” the army statement added.
The IAF strike was the first attack with fighter jets since the truce in the Hezbollah war came into effect at 4 a.m. on Wednesday.
According to reports in Lebanon, IAF jets hit a Hezbollah position in the Al-Bissariya area, near the city of Sidon. Immediate reports did not say if there were any casualties.
הפסקת האש עם אש: תקיפה ישראלית באזור עיר החוף צידון בדרום לבנון. כוונה למתקן של חיזבאללה שבו רקטות לטווח בינוני pic.twitter.com/n2OMwU4GLS
— roi kais • روعي كايس • רועי קייס (@kaisos1987) November 28, 2024
Earlier on Thursday, the IDF reported another violation of the ceasefire. “Several suspects were identified arriving with vehicles to a number of areas in Southern Lebanon, breaching the condition of the ceasefire,” the army reported, adding that the IDF opened fire toward them.
An Israeli drone strike near the Southern Lebanese village of Markaba wounded two occupants of a vehicle on Thursday morning, according to Lebanese media reports, underscoring the tenuous nature of the ceasefire that went into effect early Wednesday.
Citing Lebanese security sources and state media, Reuters reported on Thursday that Israeli tank fire struck Markaba, Wazzani and Kfarchouba (aka Kfar Shouba) along Lebanon’s southeastern border with Israel.
The IDF confirmed the attacks later on Thursday, saying it fired non-lethal warning shots at suspects in “several areas in Southern Lebanon” who attempted to travel to areas that are forbidden from entering.
The Israel Defense Forces have started enforcing the agreement with a focus on clearing villages with Lebanese residents restricted from returning as troops gradually withdraw over a 60-day transition period to be replaced by the deployment of 10,000 Lebanese Armed Forces members, who on Thursday were documented beginning to move southward.
The LAF is supposed to ensure that Hezbollah terrorists retreat north of the Litani River. The U.S. and France are to monitor compliance, with regular updates from diplomats and military officials.
The IDF has been operating in Southern Lebanon since early October, reaching as far as the Litani on Tuesday for the first time since 2000.
IDF Arabic-language Spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee has been warning residents not to return to their homes and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and the IDF have warned that force will be used against any Hezbollah attempts at violating the ceasefire.
A vehicle carrying several suspects entered a restricted area on Wednesday morning, according to the military. Troops opened fire to prevent the vehicle from advancing, and the suspects fled the scene.
Katz said in a statement that “due to the entry of Hezbollah members into Kfar Kila,” he ordered the military “to act forcefully and without compromises against phenomena of this kind.” He emphasized that Hezbollah terrorists “must be hit” if they enter prohibited areas of Southern Lebanon and endanger troops.
IDF soldiers stationed in Southern Lebanon also arrested four Hezbollah terrorists on Wednesday in the village of Tayr Harfa in the Tyre District, including a local commander, who entered the border area in violation of the ceasefire agreement.
Several Hezbollah operatives encountered by IDF soldiers were killed, Channel 12 reported.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF not to allow the population to enter the area of the villages near the border in Southern Lebanon, in accordance with the first phase of implementing the ceasefire outline,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.
The PMO stressed that the IDF will continue to “act with a heavy hand against any violation” of the deal by the Iranian-backed terrorist group.
The IDF is also expected to continue to attack Hezbollah weapons-smuggling operations at the Lebanon-Syria border during the initial stages of the ceasefire.
Until the withdrawal is complete, the military is stressing that villagers are prohibited from returning to their homes or traveling by vehicle at night.
“We urge you not to approach areas where our forces are present,” the IDF Spokesperson addressed Lebanese residents. “The ceasefire agreement is designed to be implemented gradually, and we will update you when it is safe to return.”
A senior White House official told Channel 12 about the monitoring mechanism, that “the idea is that while there won’t be foreign forces on the ground, there will be oversight and monitoring. Complaints will be handled via live chat, ensuring immediate responses.”
