Israeli warplanes launched a series of powerful airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon late Thursday night, killing at least one person and causing widespread damage to infrastructure, according to Lebanese security officials.
The explosions, visible from miles away, lit up the night sky over the Bekaa Valley and border towns near Tyre, areas long considered Hezbollah strongholds. Videos shared on social media showed massive fireballs and plumes of smoke rising from multiple sites following the attacks.
In a statement, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said the strikes were directed at what it described as “Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure” in response to recent cross-border provocations. “We will continue to act against any threat to Israel’s sovereignty and security,” the statement read.
However, the escalation has drawn international concern, as it violates the ceasefire agreement brokered in November last year that aimed to prevent further confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah.
The deal, reached with the mediation of the United Nations and Western powers, has largely held despite sporadic border incidents.
Lebanese officials condemned the strikes, calling them a “dangerous breach” of the truce. The Lebanese Foreign Ministry urged the UN to intervene and prevent further violations. Hezbollah has not yet issued an official response, but local media reported heightened military alert among its units in southern Lebanon.
Residents of targeted areas described moments of panic as explosions shattered the night’s silence. “The ground shook. We thought it was an earthquake,” said Ahmad, a resident of Nabatieh. “People fled their homes, fearing more strikes.”
The renewed violence raises fears of a broader escalation along the volatile Israel-Lebanon border, where tensions have simmered for months amid regional instability linked to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, confirmed it was monitoring the situation closely and called on all sides to exercise maximum restraint. “Any violation of the cessation of hostilities risks reigniting a wider conflict,” the mission said in a statement.
Analysts warn that continued hostilities could unravel the fragile balance maintained since last year’s ceasefire, with potential consequences for the entire Middle East.
As of Friday morning, rescue teams continued to search through the rubble in the affected areas, while both governments exchanged blame over the renewed violence. For civilians living along the border, the fear of another full-scale war looms once again.