Israel Hits Southern Lebanon After Evacuation Orders, Targets Hezbollah Rebuild
Israel’s military launched a wave of airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday after ordering residents of Taybeh and Tayr Debba—and later Aita al-Jabal—to leave homes near suspected Hezbollah sites. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strikes targeted “Hezbollah military targets” to block the group’s efforts to rebuild across the border following months of low-level exchanges of fire. Warnings went out on social media with maps marking buildings slated for attack. “You are near buildings used by Hezbollah. For your safety, you must evacuate immediately and keep a distance of at least 500 metres,” IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee wrote on X, posting the marked locations.
An IDF statement added: “The IDF has begun a series of strikes on Hezbollah military targets in southern Lebanon.” A senior Israeli officer, cited by public broadcaster KAN, said Israel “is not looking to escalate” and framed the operation as part of a broader effort to prevent Hezbollah’s rehabilitation, including strikes earlier this week on a site tied to the group’s Construction Unit and on stockpiles of engineering gear.
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Lebanese media reported the cabinet met as the raids unfolded to discuss the status of Hezbollah’s arsenal. Reuters quoted the Iran-backed group as saying that “while Lebanon was bound by a ceasefire, it was not obligated to be drawn into political negotiations with Israel,” a posture it has used to justify continued armed deployments.
The strikes come against the backdrop of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for armed groups to remain north of the Litani River, and a fragile truce that has not stopped sporadic fire. Israel says its current campaign is aimed at forcing Hezbollah units back and reducing the risk to northern Israeli communities while keeping pressure on the group’s logistics and rebuilding plans.
