Beirut, October 23, 2025 — Israeli air raids on Thursday killed at least four people in eastern and southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, marking another breach of the fragile US-brokered ceasefire that was signed nearly a year ago.

The attacks, which struck areas in the Bekaa Valley and southern districts of the country, are the latest in a series of Israeli violations that have deepened fears of renewed escalation along the Lebanon-Israel border.

Multiple Strikes Across Lebanon

Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli warplanes carried out “a series of violent air strikes” on the eastern mountain range near the Syrian border, targeting the Hermel and Bekaa regions. Two people were killed in those attacks, the health ministry confirmed.

Later in the day, two more people — including an elderly woman — were killed in another Israeli strike on the southern village of Arabsalim in the Nabatieh Governorate.

Images shared by local media showed thick plumes of smoke rising above the targeted sites, with emergency workers combing through the rubble of destroyed homes and buildings.

“These are densely populated civilian areas,” said a spokesperson for Lebanon’s Civil Defense. “The repeated airstrikes are putting entire communities at risk.”

Israel Claims Targets Were Hezbollah Sites

The Israeli military confirmed it had launched the raids, saying the attacks targeted “several terrorist sites” linked to the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. It described the operations as precision strikes against “a military camp, missile production facilities, and a weapons storage site” in the Bekaa Valley and Nabatieh area.

“The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) struck multiple Hezbollah terrorist targets, including a site used for training and manufacturing precision missiles,” the statement said.

Hezbollah has not yet issued an official response, but sources close to the group told local media that none of its fighters were among the dead. They also accused Israel of “violating the truce and provoking a wider conflict.”

Ceasefire Under Strain

The strikes are a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024, which was mediated by the United States following months of deadly clashes between Israel and Hezbollah. The truce required Israel to withdraw from five military outposts along the border and halt offensive operations inside Lebanon.

However, Israel has maintained positions at several of those outposts and continues to carry out near-daily drone and air assaults, particularly in southern Lebanon.

“The situation is extremely dangerous,” said political analyst Karim Makdisi of the American University of Beirut. “This is not just a violation of the ceasefire—it’s an erosion of the entire framework that was meant to prevent a regional war.”

Background: Conflict Rekindled by Gaza War

Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah reignited in October 2023, when Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in what it called an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The move came after Israel launched a large-scale military campaign on the besieged Gaza Strip, sparking widespread regional unrest.

By the time the Lebanon ceasefire was signed more than a year later, over 4,000 people had been killed and nearly 17,000 injured, according to Lebanese government figures. Entire southern villages were reduced to rubble, and more than 200,000 residents were displaced.

Tensions Over Disarmament Push

The ceasefire is now under renewed pressure as Lebanon faces external efforts — primarily led by the United States and Israel — to push for Hezbollah’s disarmament. The plan, which would strip the Iran-backed movement of its weapons and military control in southern Lebanon, has met fierce opposition from Hezbollah and its allies.

“Hezbollah sees disarmament as an existential threat,” said Beirut-based journalist Layal Khoury. “Any attempt to enforce it without political consensus risks reigniting the border conflict.”

UN Condemnation and International Response

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expressed concern over Thursday’s air raids, urging both sides to respect the ceasefire and avoid actions that could endanger peacekeepers or civilians. The UN previously condemned Israeli forces last month for dropping grenades dangerously close to UNIFIL patrols.

Regional powers, including France and Egypt, have called for restraint amid fears that renewed hostilities could spill over into Syria and the wider Middle East.

“The cycle of violation and retaliation must stop,” said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. “The ceasefire must be upheld, and all parties must return to dialogue.”