BEIRUT — The Israeli army announced Thursday that it had “intercepted” a Hezbollah drone that it claimed was launched toward Israeli territory, without specifying whether the aircraft was intercepted in Lebanon or after crossing the border.

According to the state-run Lebanese National News Agency (NNA), an interceptor missile exploded over Burj al-Moulouk in the Marjayoun district shortly before the Israeli army announced the interception.

“A Hezbollah surveillance drone that had been launched in the direction of Israeli territory was intercepted by the Air Force without the warning sirens going off in northern Israel,” the military said in a brief statement.

Contacted by L’Orient Today, a Hezbollah spokesperson could not confirm whether the group had launched a drone toward Israel on Thursday.

Kassem Kassir, a pro-Hezbollah political analyst, told L’Orient Today that if Hezbollah had indeed launched a drone, it would be to indicate that "the Resistance is still capable."

The party suffered significant losses following the escalation of the war with Israel in September 2024. A substantial part of its arsenal was destroyed, and its top military leaders, including former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, were killed in Israeli strikes.

Kassir said it remains unclear whether Hezbollah will claim responsibility for the drone.

This is the first time Israel has announced the interception of a drone from Lebanon since the cease-fire agreement came into effect on Nov. 27, 2024. Since then, Hezbollah has carried out only one operation, in early December, targeting an Israeli military base in the hills of Kfar Shuba.

Before the cease-fire agreement, Hezbollah had sent multiple surveillance drones toward Israel, some of which returned to Lebanon with footage of key Israeli sites.

Israeli Strikes

The Israeli army continued its maneuvers in southern Lebanon on Thursday, maintaining its occupation of several towns and areas along the border zone, as the implementation deadline for the cease-fire agreement was extended until Feb. 18.

According to our correspondent, Israeli forces set fire to a house on the outskirts of Tallousseh, near Houla, in the Marjayoun district, as well as several businesses and vehicles in Burj al-Moulouk. They also burned down a poultry farm in Kfar Kila. Israeli artillery fired two shells at the hills of Shebaa (Hasbaya), while missiles targeted Tallousseh, landing near a family inspecting their home. Another strike hit a bulldozer assisting paramedics in recovering bodies from the rubble in Yarin (Sour).

Overnight, flares were seen over Markaba (Marjayoun), and machine-gun fire was heard in the area where a large explosion occurred, according to our correspondent. Israeli military vehicles also advanced toward Wadi Slouki (Marjayoun) amid heavy gunfire.

On Thursday morning, the Israeli army confirmed in a post on X by its Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, that it had carried out an airstrike in southern Lebanon on Wednesday night. It claimed to have targeted “a construction vehicle used in an attempt to build Hezbollah infrastructure.” An Israeli drone carried out an evening strike on an excavator parked in Yohmor al-Shqeif, in the Nabatieh district.