BEIRUT, Lebanon (BN24) — Israeli warplanes carried out a series of heavy airstrikes Thursday on multiple regions across Lebanon, including deep in the eastern Bekaa Valley and the northeastern city of Baalbek, in one of the most expansive military operations since last year’s ceasefire with Hezbollah. The strikes mark a sharp escalation in cross-border hostilities as political pressure mounts on Hezbollah to relinquish its weapons.
The Israeli military said it was targeting what it called the “largest precision missile production facility belonging to Hezbollah” in Lebanon, a claim Defense Minister Yoav Gallant echoed in a televised statement. He warned that any attempt by the group to “recover or reposition” would be met with overwhelming force.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported at least seven strikes on locations in the Bekaa Valley and Baalbek’s mountainous outskirts, far from the traditional flashpoints along Lebanon’s southern frontier with Israel. Additional strikes hit the Ghaziyeh region in southern Lebanon, sparking a large fire in a commercial warehouse.
The renewed attacks come as Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated a controversial demand that Hezbollah hand over its arms to the national army. In a nationally televised address, Aoun emphasized that only the Lebanese Armed Forces and international peacekeepers should hold weapons inside Lebanon, echoing the long-unimplemented United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.
“We must extend the state’s full authority over all Lebanese territory,” Aoun said. “Weapons must be withdrawn from all non-state groups, including Hezbollah, and handed over to the army.”
Hezbollah swiftly rejected the call, with senior official Naim Qassem asserting that any disarmament talk “serves the Israeli agenda.” The Iran-backed faction, which maintains significant influence in both Lebanese politics and military matters, has said it will not consider disarmament until Israel withdraws from occupied Lebanese territories and halts its ongoing strikes.
The latest aerial assault is part of Israel’s continued military operations against Hezbollah despite the November ceasefire agreement brokered after weeks of intense fighting. Under the truce, Hezbollah had agreed to pull its forces north of the Litani River, while Israel was to withdraw from five strategic points in southern Lebanon. Neither side has fully honored those terms.
Israel’s strikes targeted the outskirts of the towns of Brital and Nasiriyah, the Tallet al-Sunduq area in Bekaa, as well as Jarmak in Jezzine and areas near Mahmoudiya and Khardali. Verified footage from the bombings showed thick plumes of smoke billowing above civilian infrastructure.
In his speech, Aoun proposed a roadmap that includes a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, the release of Lebanese prisoners held in Israeli custody, and a comprehensive ceasefire. He also called for international donors to provide $1 billion annually for a decade to strengthen the Lebanese army, alongside a donor conference to rebuild war-ravaged areas.
Diplomatic sources told Reuters that the United States has urged Lebanon’s government to formally commit to disarming Hezbollah as a precondition for renewed negotiations aimed at halting Israeli military operations. Aoun acknowledged that Lebanon had submitted proposals to amend American demands, and said the issue would be addressed in a cabinet meeting next week.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah reignited in October 2023 after the Lebanese group launched attacks in solidarity with Hamas amid Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. Despite the ceasefire announced in November, Israeli airstrikes have continued almost daily, further destabilizing the fragile calm along the Lebanese-Israeli border.
Thursday’s strikes underscore how far-reaching the Israeli campaign has become, with air raids now extending far beyond the southern combat zones into Lebanon’s heartland. As both sides remain entrenched, prospects for a lasting peace appear increasingly elusive.
