- The sensitive issue is expected to dominate a high-level government meeting scheduled for Thursday
- Israel acknowledged that some of the sites were embedded within civilian areas
- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun strongly criticised the renewed bombardment
Israel has intensified its military campaign in Lebanon, launching a series of air raids across the country’s southern and eastern regions late Monday into early Tuesday, in what appears to be a calculated show of force ahead of a crucial Lebanese government discussion on the future of Hezbollah’s weapons.
Eko Hot Blog reports that one of the most significant strikes occurred around 1 a.m. in the southern coastal city of Sidon, where a three-storey commercial structure was flattened.
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The attack came just hours before Lebanon’s army commander was expected to brief top government officials on progress made toward dismantling Hezbollah’s armed presence along the Israeli border.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun strongly criticised the renewed bombardment, warning that the strikes risk derailing international efforts aimed at easing tensions and restoring full state control over territories long dominated by armed groups.
Witnesses at the Sidon scene said the destroyed building was located in a busy commercial zone filled with workshops and mechanic outlets.
Although the structure appeared empty at the time of the strike, emergency responders confirmed that at least one person was evacuated by ambulance, while search operations continued. No deaths were immediately confirmed.
In a statement, the Israeli military said the attacks targeted weapons depots and operational infrastructure allegedly used by Hezbollah and Hamas.
Israel acknowledged that some of the sites were embedded within civilian areas, accusing militant groups of deliberately operating among non-combatants.
The latest airstrikes come amid near-daily Israeli operations despite a ceasefire brokered by the United States in November 2024, which formally ended a 14-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
As part of the truce, Lebanon committed to disarming armed groups, a pledge Israel insists has not been fully carried out.
Ahead of the strikes, Israel’s Arabic-language military spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, issued evacuation alerts on social media for several communities in southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley.
Lebanon’s state news agency later reported that one of the targeted properties belonged to Sharhabil al-Sayed, a Hamas commander killed in a previous Israeli drone attack in May 2024, noting that no casualties were recorded in those locations.
Earlier on Monday, a separate drone strike hit a vehicle in the southern village of Braikeh, injuring two people, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Israel said the operation was aimed at two Hezbollah operatives.
Lebanese authorities say the army has already begun dismantling weapons held by Palestinian militant factions and has pledged to clear all Hezbollah arms south of the Litani River by the end of 2025.
The sensitive issue is expected to dominate a high-level government meeting scheduled for Thursday, to be attended by army chief Gen. Rudolph Haikal.
Despite the ceasefire, continued Israeli strikes have drawn concern from the United Nations, which says at least 127 civilians have been killed in Lebanon since active hostilities officially ended.
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