Israeli army says it targeted 'Hezbollah military sites' in south and Bekaa

The Israeli army said Thursday it targeted "infrastructure that was used for producing and storing strategic weapons," after a series of strikes carried out on southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.

According to L'Orient-Le Jour's correspondent in the region, the Israeli strikes hit Mahmoudieh, near the Lebanese Army checkpoint at the Khardali Bridge, the outskirts of Aishieh, and the village of Jarmuq (Sour). In the Bekaa, L'Orient-Le Jour's correspondent reported that the bombings struck the Brital Heights (Baalbeck) and the surroundings of Nabi Sreij.

In a statement, the Israeli military saidf it launched a series of strikes on sites belonging to Hezbollah and targeted "explosive manufacturing sites" as well as an "underground site for the production and storage of strategic weapons." It also accused the party of trying to rebuild its infrastructure.

Read more

Meeting with Aoun, head of Centcom welcomes the deployment of the army in southern Lebanon

'The largest missile production site'

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli army had attacked "the largest site for the production of Hezbollah precision missiles in Lebanon," according to Haaretz.

"Any attempt by the organization to rebuild, reestablish, or threaten will be met with relentless force," he said. According to the statement, this site had been previously targeted.

"The Lebanese government is responsible for preventing any violation of the cease-fire agreement. We will not allow Hezbollah to threaten the residents of northern Israel," he added.

These strikes come as the international community continues to press for Hezbollah’s disarmament. On Thursday, President Joseph Aoun once again called for exclusive control of arms "from today" by the army and Lebanese security forces, while urging Hezbollah’s opponents to avoid "provocations."

Militarily weakened by its 13-month war with Israel, the party is conditioning any concessions regarding its weapons on clear guarantees concerning the intentions of Israel and the United States. The cease-fire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel, in effect since Nov. 27, calls for a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon, where they still occupy five positions and conduct strikes nearly every day. On the Lebanese side, the agreement was to lead to the disarmament of Hezbollah, first south of the Litani River, then across the country, as mandated by U.N. Resolution 1701, which provided the framework for the truce deal — a provision the party rejects. Israeli attacks in Lebanon over the past eight months have killed at least 285, according to a L’Orient-Le Jour and United Nations count.