On January 13, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted multiple strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. The strikes appear to be some of the most extensive since a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon began in late November. The agreement, which will end in late January, calls for an initial 60-day phase in which Israel will withdraw its forces from Lebanon. Efforts have been underway to extend the deal.
In the January 13 operation, the IDF said that “prior to the strike, the threat posed by the targets to the Israeli home front and IDF troops was presented to the monitoring mechanism of the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon, and the threats were not addressed.” Israel then struck a rocket launcher site as well as other locations. One of the targets was a route along the Syria-Lebanon border that the IDF says was used to smuggle weapons.
“The IDF continues to act to remove any threat to the State of Israel and will prevent any attempt by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to rebuild its forces in accordance with the ceasefire understandings,” Israel’s military said.
Hezbollah has suffered some recent setbacks, notably the fall of Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad on December 8. Iran and Hezbollah were close partners of the Assad regime, and Hezbollah has received weapons via Syria over the past decades. The strike on a smuggling route appears to indicate Hezbollah continues to try to exploit this border to resupply itself. Israel carried out wide-ranging airstrikes in Syria after the fall of Assad to prevent the former regime’s weapons from falling into the wrong hands.
The IDF conducted additional operations in Lebanon over the last week. On January 11, the Israeli Air Force carried out an airstrike near Mount Dov after identifying three suspects approaching the area. Mount Dov is held by Israel but considered a disputed area by Lebanon, and Hezbollah has frequently threatened IDF forces in the mountainous area. In another incident on January 10, the IDF struck a truck that was loaded with weapons. In each case, the Israeli military says that it “continues to operate in accordance with the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon. The IDF remains deployed in southern Lebanon and will operate against any threat to the State of Israel and its citizens.”
The IDF has continued withdrawing from areas in southern Lebanon. However, some Israeli forces are still active there, searching for weapons and dismantling Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure. The IDF said the 769th Brigade, one of two territorial brigades based in northern Israel responsible for sectors along the Lebanese border, has continued searching for weapons.
“During searches in a village in southern Lebanon, soldiers discovered a multi-barrel rocket launcher, hundreds of mortar shells, explosive devices, and RPG rifles inside a structure. Anti-tank fire positions and hidden weapons were located nearby,” the IDF said on January 10. “Troops also found a weapons storage facility containing dozens of shoulder-launched missiles, explosive charges, and extensive military equipment. All the findings were either confiscated or dismantled,” the IDF added.
