IDF slays Hezbollah operative in Southern Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces on Saturday killed a Hezbollah terrorist who was engaged in efforts to rebuild the terror group’s military infrastructure in the Markaba area in southeastern Lebanon.

“The terrorist’s actions constituted a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said in a statement.

On Friday, the IDF struck engineering vehicles and other assets used by Hezbollah to reestablish terrorist infrastructure in the Mazraat al-Daoudiya area of Southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah’s use of the equipment constituted a violation of the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon, the military said.

“The IDF will continue to operate to remove any threat to the State of Israel and to prevent Hezbollah’s reestablishment,” it added.

Earlier on Friday, the IDF targeted and killed a terrorist involved in efforts to reestablish Hezbollah military infrastructure in the Seddiqin area of Southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah began attacking Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after the Hamas-led terrorist assault on southern Israel, opening a second front along the country’s northern border that lasted until a truce took effect on Nov. 27, 2024.

Under the ceasefire terms, Hezbollah was required to disarm, beginning in areas adjacent to the Israeli border, with the Lebanese Armed Forces tasked with establishing a monopoly over weapons in the country.

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 ongoing Iran-aided rearmament efforts.

“The ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States between Israel and Lebanon states clearly that Hezbollah must be fully disarmed. This is imperative for Israel’s security and Lebanon’s future,” said Jerusalem.