Israel launched multiple airstrikes on mountainous areas in eastern Lebanon on Thursday, October 23, targeting Hezbollah positions, according to statements from both Lebanese and Israeli sources.
“Israeli warplanes launched a series of violent strikes on the eastern mountain range” in the Bekaa region near the Syrian border, Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported. The agency also said two Israeli strikes hit the Hermel range in the country’s northeast.
The Israeli military confirmed the attacks, stating that they targeted Hezbollah sites in eastern and northern Lebanon, including “a military camp and a site for the production of precision missiles” in the Bekaa. It said the strikes hit “several terrorist targets,” including “a camp used for training Hezbollah militants” and “military infrastructure at a site for the production of precision missiles.” The statement added that Israeli forces also struck “a Hezbollah military site in the Sharbin area in northern Lebanon.”
The strikes come despite a ceasefire agreement reached in November, which ended over a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, including two months of open conflict. The ceasefire required Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon and for Hezbollah to dismantle its military presence in the area.
Under pressure from the United States and in an effort to prevent renewed escalation, the Lebanese government has begun taking steps to disarm Hezbollah. However, the militant group and its allies remain firmly opposed to the plan.
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