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The Israeli army said Thursday it will strike Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, issuing an urgent warning that Israel forces will soon target Hezbollah military infrastructure across southern Lebanon in response to what it called Hezbollah's attempts to rebuild its activities in the area.
The Lebanese Health Ministry said one person was killed and three were injured in a new Israeli airstrike Thursday, in latest violation of the ceasefire agreement. The ministry said casualties were reported in an attack that targeted the Tyre district.
State news agency NNA said Israeli fighter jets struck the area between Toura and Aabbasiyyeh, causing panic among students in nearby schools.
The Israeli army said strikes targeted Hezbollah operators at an infrastructure site in the area.
Israeli Channel 12 reported early Thursday that Tel Aviv is preparing for another possible round of fighting with Hezbollah.
Tensions have been rising in southern Lebanon for weeks, with the Israeli army intensifying near-daily air raids inside Lebanese territory despite a ceasefire deal in place since November 2024, saying it is targeting Hezbollah members and infrastructure.
The Israeli army has killed more than 4,000 people and injured nearly 17,000 in its attacks on Lebanon, which began in October 2023 and escalated into a full-scale offensive in September 2024.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah lashed out Thursday against prospects of any political negotiations between Lebanon and Israel and insisted it has the right to defend itself.
A source close to Hezbollah political leadership told AFP the declaration followed recent U.S. and Egyptian pressure on Lebanese leaders to open direct negotiations.
Lebanon and Israel remain technically in a state of war, but all recent armed conflicts with Israel were fought by Hezbollah, not the Lebanese military.
On Thursday, another Israeli strike killed one person, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The Israeli military said it targeted a Hezbollah construction team.
The only diplomatic contact between Lebanon and Israel occurs through the ceasefire monitoring mechanism involving the United States, France and the United Nations. That mechanism meets at the U.N. force headquarters in southern Lebanon, but Lebanese and Israeli parties do not directly communicate.
Hezbollah urged Thursday for unifying Lebanese ranks against Israeli violations in southern Lebanon and rejected any political negotiations with Tel Aviv.
“The current stage requires national unity to confront aggression and reject any slide toward new political negotiations with the enemy,” Hezbollah said in an open letter to President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and the Lebanese people.
Group reaffirmed commitment to “national understanding, the protection of sovereignty, and the preservation of security and stability in Lebanon” under ceasefire agreement reached in late 2024.
“Lebanon and Hezbollah have abided by the provisions of U.N. Resolution 1701 since its adoption, while the Zionist (Israeli) enemy has continued its land, sea, and air violations,” it said.
Under ceasefire terms, Israeli army was supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon in January, but it only partially pulled out and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.
Israeli forces conduct daily airstrikes across Lebanese territory in violation of the deal.
“Israel has not complied with the cessation of hostilities agreement but has continued political blackmail attempts and efforts to impose conditions that serve its interests,” Hezbollah said.
It said any Lebanese government plan for arms monopoly must be part of “a comprehensive national strategy for defense and sovereignty protection,” not a response to “external pressures.”
The Lebanese government approved the plan on Aug. 5 based on a draft proposal from U.S. Special Envoy Tom Barrack to place all weapons, including the Hezbollah arsenal, under state control and tasked the Lebanese army with drafting and implementing the plan before the end of 2025.
Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem has repeatedly opposed the move and insists Israeli forces must fully withdraw from Lebanese territory before any disarmament.
The Lebanese Cabinet is set to convene Thursday to discuss the second briefing report by the Lebanese army on the disarmament process.
“The Israeli enemy does not target Hezbollah alone but Lebanon in all its components,” Hezbollah said, stressing it has “a legitimate right to resist occupation and aggression alongside the army and the people.”
Lebanese authorities issued no immediate comment on the Hezbollah letter.
Hezbollah was the only movement in Lebanon that refused to disarm after the 1975–1990 civil war, first saying it had a duty to liberate territory occupied by Israel and later to continue defending Lebanon.
In its open letter, Hezbollah said it rejected “any political negotiations” between Lebanon and Israel and argued such talks would “not serve the national interest.”
Hezbollah is backed by Iran, which also fought its own war against Israel earlier this year.
“We reaffirm our legitimate right ... to defend ourselves against an enemy that imposes war on our country and does not cease its attacks,” Hezbollah said.
The group said it remained committed to the ceasefire reached last year after months of escalating hostilities turned into all-out war.
Israel warned last week it could intensify operations in Lebanon, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of attempting to rearm.
Last week, Barrack said dialogue with Israel could be key to easing tensions.
The Lebanese government is set to meet later Thursday to examine progress on its disarmament efforts.
Despite the November 2024 ceasefire, Israel maintains troops in five areas in southern Lebanon and continues strikes. The United States has increased pressure on Lebanese authorities to disarm the group, a move opposed by Hezbollah and allies.
Israel has stepped up strikes in recent weeks, saying it is targeting Hezbollah positions.
President Aoun criticized Israel for intensifying strikes after he said he was open to negotiating with Israel. A Lebanese official told AFP on Thursday that Israel has not responded “positively nor negatively” to offer.
The Lebanese government has instructed the Lebanese army to devise a disarmament plan, but last week Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz accused Aoun of “dragging his feet.”
“The Lebanese government’s commitment to disarm Hezbollah and remove it from southern Lebanon must be implemented. Maximum enforcement will continue and even intensify; we will not allow any threat to the residents of the north,” Katz said.
Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of attempting to rearm after suffering heavy losses in its last war with Israel. In September 2024, Israel killed the group’s longtime chief Hassan Nasrallah and numerous other senior leaders.
Under ceasefire terms, the Lebanese army must ensure Hezbollah is disarmed in the south near the Israeli border by the end of the year before proceeding with disarmament across the rest of Lebanon.
Hezbollah has criticized the government’s “hasty decision” to pursue disarmament, arguing Israel has taken advantage of the process.
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