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3. Israeli Airstrikes: A Renewed Message to Hezbollah

The recent wave of Israeli airstrikes, carried out between Friday night and Saturday across various areas of southern Lebanon, spanning both the southern and northern banks of the Litani River, has garnered significant attention and raised many questions. It is worth noting that these strikes, as well as targeted eliminations, have continued unabated since Israel and Hezbollah announced a ceasefire agreement on November 27.

According to some reports, the airstrikes were prompted by Hezbollah’s attempt to move weapon caches, which they were supposed to report to the Lebanese Army but did not. Israel, maintaining its surveillance, detected these movements and targeted the weapons depots.

Other sources suggest that this large-scale attack was driven by intelligence indicating that a Hezbollah group was preparing to launch rockets toward Israel. This group was allegedly acting under direct orders from the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), despite opposition from some Hezbollah political figures, including its Secretary-General, Sheikh Naim Qassem.

However, sources closely following the situation in southern Lebanon cast doubt on the theory that the strikes were tied to preparations for a rocket launch by a Hezbollah group. They note that the strikes targeted a relatively large geographical area, and no Hezbollah faction has the capacity to launch rockets from multiple locations.

Furthermore, such an action would almost certainly have triggered a large-scale war with Israel, especially given that Israeli threats were relayed to Lebanon through American representatives in the monitoring commission. Additionally, the consequences of a renewed outbreak of war would be catastrophic for Hezbollah’s base, which is still reeling from the repercussions of the previous conflict.

Finally, it seems that access to the sites targeted by the strikes is difficult for both the Lebanese Army and international forces, making it impossible to verify Israel’s justifications for these attacks. However, the message Israel seeks to convey is clear: Hezbollah’s weapons and its military infrastructure are treated the same way, whether in the south or the north of the Litani River.