The IDF announced it killed dozens of Hezbollah operatives in more than 100 strikes across various areas, including the Beqaa Valley. The military said the 52nd Battalion, whose commander was killed overnight, operated in the Beaufort Ridge area and discovered a strategic underground Hezbollah infrastructure. The IDF accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire and asserted it has no restrictions on removing threats, with forces ready for intense combat in any arena.
The IDF Spokesperson's Friday afternoon statement escalated the ongoing campaign against Hezbollah deep into the ceasefire period, reporting over 100 strikes and the discovery of a strategic underground Hezbollah infrastructure in the Beaufort Ridge area. The military said it killed dozens of operatives, with the Beqaa Valley in eastern Lebanon emerging as a major focus — a departure from previous operations confined mainly to southern Lebanon. The announcement follows its earlier accusation that Hezbollah had violated the ceasefire, as The Zioneer reported at 16:14 Jerusalem on Friday. The scale of the operation is the largest since the ceasefire took effect, matching an earlier wave reported on Thursday.
The IDF's focus on the 52nd Battalion's activity in the Beaufort and Mount Ali al-Tahir ridge directly references the commander's death the previous night, as The Zioneer reported on Friday at 14:38 Jerusalem: four soldiers, including the battalion commander, were killed in a Hezbollah attack. Subsequent reporting documented a rapid escalation: by 16:14 Jerusalem Friday, The Zioneer reported the IDF's accusation that Hezbollah violated the ceasefire; by 12:30 Jerusalem Friday, Defense Minister Katz vowed a decisive response; and by 12:57 Jerusalem Friday, The Zioneer reported strikes on two Hezbollah headquarters in the Beqaa Valley and over 80 additional targets. The thread shows corroboration evolving from initial unconfirmed strike reports to an on-record IDF confirmation of over 100 strikes and a strategic underground infrastructure discovery.
As The Zioneer reported on Saturday, June 13, at 01:10 Jerusalem, the IDF said it had eliminated over 1,300 Hezbollah operatives since the ceasefire, including over 10 field commanders, and described a systematic command-chain degradation. An earlier bulletin on Sunday, June 14, at 00:06 Jerusalem, reported over 70 Hezbollah sites struck and seven operatives eliminated from an underground route. The broader campaign, as reported Thursday, June 11, at 18:39 Jerusalem, included the IDF completing operational control of Wadi al-Saluki and killing over 50 operatives.
The IDF's assertion that there is 'no limit on forces in removing threats' and its warning of readiness for 'intense combat in any arena' marks a rhetorical hardening. However, it remains unclear whether the newly discovered underground infrastructure in the Beaufort Ridge is connected to the underground route reported on June 14. No independent confirmation of the number of operatives killed in this specific wave has emerged, and Hezbollah has not publicly responded to the IDF's cease-fire violation accusations.
4 developments
- DevelopingIDF says it struck 70+ Hezbollah sites, eliminated seven operatives from underground route
- StrongIDF strikes two Hezbollah headquarters in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley
- DevelopingIDF says over 1,300 Hezbollah operatives killed since ceasefire, reveals command chain decapitation
- StrongHezbollah releases detailed claim of responsibility for tank strike that killed 52nd Battalion commander
Source and signal
- Internal intake