2 killed as Israel says it struck multiple Hezbollah targets in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley

JERUSALEM - Israel’s military said on Jan 31 that it struck multiple Hezbollah targets in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, two months into a fragile ceasefire with the Lebanese group after major hostilities in 2024.

“The targets that were struck include a Hezbollah terrorist site containing underground infrastructure used to develop and manufacture weaponry and additional terrorist infrastructure sites on the Syrian-Lebanese border used by Hezbollah to smuggle weaponry into Lebanon,” the military said in a statement.

It said the overnight strikes were aimed at targets that had posed a threat to Israel and Israeli troops.

Overnight Israeli air strikes on the Bekaa Valley killed two people, the Lebanese Health Ministry said on Jan 31.

“The strike by the Israeli enemy on Janta killed two people and wounded 10,” it said.

The village of Janta is close to the Syrian border, and the area was already hit by Israeli strikes on Jan 13.

The overnight strikes came after the military said it intercepted a Hezbollah surveillance drone approaching Israeli territory on Jan 30, which it said “represents a breach of the

ceasefire understandings

between Israel and Lebanon”.

“The (army) continues to remain committed to the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon, and will not permit any terrorist activity of this kind,” it said.

The Israeli army missed a Jan 26 deadline to complete its withdrawal from Lebanon. It now has until Feb 18. Israel has made clear it has no intention of meeting the deadline, charging that the Lebanese army has not fulfilled its side of the bargain.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, the Lebanese army is to deploy in the south as Hezbollah pulls its forces back north of the Litani River, about 30km from the border.

The Iran-backed militant group is also required to dismantle any remaining military infrastructure it has in the south. AFP