The Israel Defense Forces are carrying out large-scale strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in the Beqaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, citing the terror group's repeated violations of the ceasefire and in response to the killing of four Israeli soldiers, the military says.
The Israel Defense Forces launched large-scale strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure deep in the Beqaa Valley on Friday afternoon, expanding the aerial campaign further into eastern Lebanon. The military described the operation as a response to the terror group's repeated ceasefire violations and the killing of four Israeli soldiers. This follows a sequence of escalating Israeli operations throughout the day: at 08:41 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported the first IDF confirmation of strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure deep inside Lebanon, followed by a series of updates that specified the Beqaa Valley as the target zone. By 12:51, the IDF had struck two Hezbollah command centers in the valley while operatives were inside.
Earlier Friday morning, the IDF described a broader wave of over 80 strikes across southern Lebanon — including command posts and launch sites — tied to what it called "significant" ceasefire violations. The escalation was triggered by a Hezbollah attack that killed an Israeli battalion commander and several soldiers. Over the preceding 72 hours, the pace of exchanges increased, with Hezbollah firing rockets and the IDF responding with air and ground strikes in southern Lebanon. As The Zioneer reported Friday at 11:13, the IDF expanded its strikes in southern Lebanon after the battalion commander was killed, and the escalation also led to the cancellation of talks in Switzerland.
Thursday night into Friday morning saw Israeli strikes hit 28 villages in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa region, according to Lebanese sources, with the Lebanese Health Ministry reporting 23 killed — figures that remain unverified and do not distinguish between combatants and civilians. The Beqaa Valley is a known Hezbollah stronghold and staging area, used for weapons storage and for launching attacks into Israel. The IDF has repeatedly warned that any violation of the November 2024 ceasefire would be met with a forceful response.
What remains open: the full scope of this Beqaa Valley strike wave, including the number and types of specific targets hit, as well as any secondary explosions, has not been disclosed by the IDF. Casualty figures on the Lebanese side have not been published by the military. No changes to Home Front Command civil-defense guidelines have been announced as of this bulletin.
11 developments
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- StrongFour IDF soldiers killed in Hezbollah attack; IDF retaliates with over 80 strikes across Lebanon
- StrongIDF strikes Hezbollah targets near Baalbek in deep Lebanon
- DevelopingIDF strikes dozens of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon overnight
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