The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday struck a Hezbollah terrorist cell posing an “immediate threat” to troops in the in Southern Lebanon security zone, the military said.
Tuesday’s announcement was the first reported airstrike in Lebanon since Jerusalem and the Iranian-backed terrorist group agreed to renew a U.S.-brokered truce after a deadly flare-up over the weekend.
“The IDF identified a cell of armed terrorists operating in close proximity to IDF soldiers in the security zone in the area of the Ali al-Taher Ridge,” according to the military statement.
“Following the identification, the soldiers struck the terrorists north of the Security Zone in order to remove the threat,” added the army. “The IDF will continue to operate to remove immediate threats and will not allow the Hezbollah terrorist organization to harm Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers.”
Hezbollah in a statement accused Israel of breaching the truce understandings with Beirut by striking the cell.
“We warn that what the enemy has undertaken constitutes a blatant violation of the ceasefire,” Hezbollah said in a statement cited by Al-Akhbar, which is affiliated with the terrorist group.
🎯STRUCK: Armed terrorists who posed an immediate threat to IDF troops operating in the Security Zone in southern Lebanon.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 23, 2026
Following the identification, the soldiers struck the terrorists in order to remove the threat. pic.twitter.com/9Ta7qMFPNP
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Monday night that the IDF will stay in the security zone, neutralize Hezbollah threats there and demolish terrorist infrastructure.
Netanyahu issued the joint statement with Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir following a security discussion that also included the head of the military’s Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo.
“The IDF will continue to act with determination in order to neutralize threats against our soldiers and our citizens, demolish terrorist infrastructure and maintain the security zone in Southern Lebanon,” according to the statement.
“The prime minister, the minister of defense and the chief of the General Staff made it clear that the security of Israeli citizens and IDF forces will remain their guiding principle without compromise,” it added.
The statements came amid U.S. President Donald Trump expressing frustration with Jerusalem over airstrikes in Lebanon that he said could have jeopardized his peace deal with the Iranian regime.
Asked by CBS News on Monday about Netanyahu’s insistence on maintaining an IDF presence across Israel’s northern border, Trump replied, “I’m not going to tell you what I’m going to do, but it gets solved.
“I’m a problem solver. I get problems solved real fast, including with Bibi,” the president said, speaking with reporters at the White House.
Iran has stressed that its implementation of the June 17 Memorandum of Understanding with Washington is contingent on the Jewish state ending military operations against Hezbollah.
Trump has warned Tehran to rein in its proxies in Lebanon or face renewed attack. “Iran must immediately stop their highly paid proxies in Lebanon from causing trouble,” the U.S. president wrote in a Truth Social post on Sunday. “If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”
