Lebanon’s president Joseph Aoun on Saturday condemned deadly Israeli airstrikes carried out a day earlier, calling them a violation of the November 2024 ceasefire with Hezbollah.
In an official statement, Aoun described the attacks as “a blatant act of aggression aimed at thwarting diplomatic efforts” led by the United States and other international partners to stabilize the region.
Deadly strikes in south and east
According to Lebanon’s health ministry, Israeli strikes on Friday killed 12 people, including 10 in eastern Lebanon.
The Israeli military said it targeted “several terrorists of Hezbollah’s missile array” across three command centers in the Baalbek area. Hezbollah later confirmed that one of its commanders was killed in the raids.
Despite the ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024, Israel has continued periodic strikes in Lebanon, saying it is targeting Hezbollah infrastructure and, at times, its Palestinian ally Hamas.
Tensions over ceasefire monitoring
The truce is overseen by a five-member multinational monitoring committee that includes the United States. The body is scheduled to meet again next week.
Hezbollah lawmaker Rami Abu Hamdan urged Beirut to suspend participation in the committee, arguing that repeated Israeli strikes ahead of meetings undermine the process.
“We will not accept the authorities acting as mere political analysts,” he said, calling on the government to halt committee meetings until Israeli attacks cease.
Fragile stability
Although weakened after months of conflict with Israel, Hezbollah remains a significant political force in Lebanon and holds seats in parliament.
Lebanon’s government has pledged to move toward disarming the group. The Lebanese army announced last month it had completed the first phase of a disarmament plan in areas near the Israeli border.
The latest escalation highlights the fragility of the ceasefire and the challenges facing diplomatic efforts to prevent renewed large-scale conflict along the Israel-Lebanon frontier.
