IDF kills three Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon

Israeli forces on Monday eliminated three Hezbollah operatives involved in advancing attacks against troops and in reestablishing terrorist infrastructure in the Sidon area of Southern Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday.

An initial review found that one of the terrorists killed in the strike also served in a Lebanese intelligence unit.

The strike also killed two other operatives, including one involved in Hezbollah’s aerial defense network.

“The IDF emphasizes that it operates against terrorists in the Hezbollah terrorist organization who operate to reestablish terrorist infrastructure, which constitutes a serious violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” added the statement.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Saturday that Hezbollah terrorists south of the Litani River would soon be disarmed, a key requirement of Beirut’s ceasefire with Israel.

“Prime Minister Salam affirmed that the first phase of the weapons consolidation plan related to the area south of the Litani River is only days away from completion,” according to a statement from Salam’s office.

“The state is ready to move on to the second phase, namely confiscating weapons north of the Litani River, based on the plan prepared by the Lebanese army pursuant to a mandate from the government,” Salam added.

Yisrael Beiteinu Party chief Avigdor Liberman dismissed the statement on Monday. “This is simply nonsense, just fiction. [We’re] not even close to dismantling Hezbollah’s arsenal, not even in Southern Lebanon,” he told JNS.

“I don’t know what intelligence [information] Lebanon’s prime minister has, but I trust the assessments of [Israel’s] defense establishment,” he added, speaking at a faction meeting of his party at the Knesset in Jerusalem.

Last week, an Israeli official participated in a meeting in Naqoura, Lebanon, aimed at ensuring the disarmament of the Iranian-backed terror group.

“During the meeting, ways to promote economic projects were discussed in order to underscore the mutual interest in removing the Hezbollah threat and ensuring sustainable security for residents on both sides of the border,” said the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem.

“The meeting is a continuation of the security dialogue aimed at ensuring the disarmament of Hezbollah by the Lebanese army,” it added.

Israeli National Security Council official Joseph Draznin attended the talks, replacing Eli Resnick, who represented Israel at the first meeting in Naqoura on Dec. 3.

Those talks came a day after the Israel Defense Forces warned that Hezbollah was rapidly rebuilding its capabilities in Lebanon despite ongoing airstrikes since a truce took hold last year.

The ceasefire went into effect on Nov. 27, 2024, following an intense two-month IDF military campaign that led to the weakening of the Iranian terror proxy’s leadership. The deal was cemented by the Israeli and Lebanese governments and five mediating countries, including the United States.