JBâA, LEBANON: Israeli raids hit south Lebanon on Thursday as its military said it was striking Hezbollah weapons storage facilities, a day after Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held their first direct talks in decades.
Despite a November 2024 ceasefire that was supposed to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group, Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon and has also maintained troops in five south Lebanon areas it deems strategic.
The visit from Sunday to Tuesday of Pope Leo XIV had provided Lebanon with a window of reprieve from Israeli air strikes, which had intensified in recent weeks, and the pontiff urged an end to hostilities during his visit.
But on Thursday, the Israeli army said it “began conducting strikes on Hezbollah terror targets in southern Lebanon”, after warning it would strike buildings in south Lebanon’s Mahrouna and Jbaa.
It subsequently issued warnings that it would strike further Hezbollah “military infrastructure” in Majadal and Baraasheet, also in the south.
