The Israeli military initiated attacks in eastern Lebanon on Monday, broadening its bombing campaign amidst an ongoing ceasefire that has not completely quelled hostilities with the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. The strikes targeted Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley for the first time since a ceasefire brokered by the U.S. took effect on April 16, leading to a notable reduction in attacks but not a complete cessation of hostilities.
Israel has persisted in conducting strikes in southern Lebanon and has stationed troops in a portion of the country’s south, demolishing structures they claim are utilized by Hezbollah. In turn, the Iran-backed group has sustained its drone and rocket assaults on Israeli forces in Lebanon and northern Israel.
An Israeli military spokesperson announced the commencement of strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in the Bekaa region and other areas in southern Lebanon. Security sources reported strikes near the town of Nabi Chit, close to Lebanon’s eastern border with Syria, with no immediate reports of casualties. Lebanon’s state media agency documented several strikes in the south that resulted in at least three individuals sustaining injuries.
Hezbollah reported attacking an Israeli tank in southern Lebanon with a drone. The Israeli military confirmed that a drone launched by Hezbollah exploded near their troops in southern Lebanon, causing no casualties. Since March 2, a total of 2,509 individuals have died in Israeli strikes across Lebanon, as per the country’s Health Ministry, following Hezbollah’s attack on Israel in support of Iran, triggering an Israeli military campaign that has devastated parts of southern Lebanon.
The conflict has deepened divisions among the Lebanese populace, who are split over Hezbollah’s weaponry and the possibility of peace negotiations with Israel. The Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the United States have held two meetings to discuss the ceasefire, aimed at facilitating direct talks to secure a peace agreement between the long-standing adversaries.
Hezbollah vehemently opposes direct negotiations, with its leader Naim Qassem denouncing the talks as a “humiliating and unnecessary concession.” Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has defended the government’s decision to engage in direct talks, indirectly criticizing Hezbollah for its role in the recent regional conflict. Aoun emphasized that entering negotiations does not equate to treason, contrasting it with the decision to engage in war without national consensus.