Israel Targets Civilians in Lebanon Amid Pressure on Hezbollah
BEIRUT (Dispatches) – Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed one person and injured at least a dozen others, underscoring the Zionist regime’s ongoing violations of the fragile ceasefire, officials said.
Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli drones fired two missiles at a car near the western entrance of Yater town in Nabatiyeh Governorate, killing one individual.
Later in the day, the Lebanese Health Ministry said an Israeli airstrike struck a building in the Ksar Zaatar neighborhood of Nabatiyeh city, injuring 12 civilians, including four children and seven women. Two of the wounded were reported to be in critical condition.
The Israeli military claimed it targeted a Hezbollah command post in southern Lebanon. However, the strikes came amid heightened tensions and ongoing Israeli breaches of Lebanese sovereignty, despite a ceasefire that came into effect on November 27, 2024, following nearly 14 months of war.
The ceasefire, brokered after significant casualties and stalemates, was intended to halt hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese resistance group and key military actor in the south. Yet, Israel has repeatedly violated the agreement through airstrikes and incursions into Lebanese airspace, further destabilizing the region.
Lebanon formally extended the ceasefire until February 18, but Israeli forces continue to occupy strategic positions inside southern Lebanon, including Labbouneh, Mount Blat, Owayda Hill, Aaziyyeh, and Hammamis Hill, all near the border.
Despite near-daily Israeli aggression, Hezbollah remains the only credible force capable of defending Lebanese sovereignty and countering Israeli incursions. The group’s military capacity has prevented further Israeli advances and helped maintain a precarious balance in the region.
Pressure from the United States and Israel on the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah has intensified, but many Lebanese citizens and political figures argue such demands ignore the root cause of instability — Israel’s ongoing violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
As Israel escalates its military preparations, including constructing a mock Lebanese village in the occupied Golan Heights to train for potential future wars with Hezbollah, the Lebanese government faces growing challenges in balancing diplomatic pressures with the urgent need to protect its people.
The latest airstrikes serve as a stark reminder of the fragile peace and the critical role Hezbollah plays in resisting further Israeli aggression in Lebanon.