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On February 8, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it had launched a strike in eastern Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, targeting fighters of Hezbollah at a weapons manufacturing site.
“The strike was carried out after the terrorists were identified operating at a site for manufacturing and storing strategic weapons,” the IDF said in a statement, noting that any activity at the Hezbollah site was a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon.
“The IDF continues to operate 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,” the military added.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that six were killed and two others were killed in the Israeli strike, without elaborating.
The ceasefire agreement, which was brokered by the United States, entered into effect on November 27. Under the agreement, both the IDF and Hezbollah were supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 26. However, the agreement was extended until February 18 after Israel refused to pull out its troops citing the slow deployment of the Lebanese military in the region. The deployment is a key part of the agreement.
It’s worth noting that the Beqaa Valley is located to the north of the Litani River, beyond the line which Hezbollah is required to withdraw under the agreement.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah broke out as a direct result of the war in the Gaza Strip, which began with the October 7 Hamas-led surprise attack of 2023. More than 4,000 people were killed in Lebanon with over 130 others on the Israeli side.
The IDF escalated strikes against Hezbollah in recent weeks, citing violations of the ceasefire agreement with no real response from Hezbollah.
The group, which took heavy losses during the conflict, will not likely retaliate. However, it could resume attacks if Israel refused to withdraw from southern Lebanon by the agreed upon dead line.
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