Israel strikes Hezbollah in Lebanon amid ceasefire tensions

[MIDDLE EAST] Lebanon said that an Israeli strike in the south on Tuesday killed one person, while Israel claimed to have killed a Hezbollah "platoon commander" in its latest operation despite an Iran-backed ceasefire. In statements published on Tuesday by news site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, President Joseph Aoun stated that he was pursuing a governmental monopoly on holding arms this year, referring to disarming Hezbollah, whose military positions the Lebanese army is demolishing as part of the truce.

The ongoing tensions highlight the fragile nature of the ceasefire, which has been repeatedly tested by cross-border incidents. Analysts warn that continued Israeli strikes and Hezbollah’s refusal to fully disarm could reignite broader conflict, undermining regional stability. The UN has called for restraint from both sides, emphasizing the need to uphold the truce terms to prevent further civilian casualties.

According to the health ministry, a "drone strike carried out by the Israeli enemy on a vehicle in the town of Aitaroun killed one person and wounded three others, including a child". The Israeli army said in a statement that it "struck and eliminated a platoon commander in Hezbollah's special operations array" in the area. Israel has continued to target Lebanon despite the November 27 cease-fire, which effectively ended more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, including two months of all-out war.

The targeted killing of Hezbollah’s platoon commander marks a significant escalation, as Israel appears to be focusing on high-value operatives despite the truce. Security experts suggest this could be part of a broader strategy to degrade Hezbollah’s command structure while avoiding large-scale confrontations. However, such strikes risk provoking retaliatory attacks, further destabilizing the region.

On Tuesday, the UN human rights office reported that "at least 71 civilians have been killed by Israeli forces in Lebanon since the ceasefire came into effect". Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah politician, stated last week that 186 individuals had been murdered since the truce, but did not specify how many were the group's fighters. Lebanon's health ministry has not responded to AFP's requests for updated data.

The discrepancy in casualty figures underscores the challenges in verifying information in a highly polarized conflict zone. Human rights organizations have accused both sides of downplaying civilian losses while exaggerating enemy casualties. The lack of transparency from official sources complicates efforts to assess the true humanitarian cost of the post-ceasefire violence.

The truce agreement was based on a UN Security Council resolution stating that Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers should be the only forces in south Lebanon and calling for the disarmament of all non-state groups. The agreement required Hezbollah to evacuate fighters from south of Lebanon's Litani River and dismantle any residual military facilities. Israel was to withdraw all of its forces from south Lebanon, but it still holds five "strategic" sites.

As Israeli forces retreat, Lebanon's army has been deploying in the south, near the border.

Despite the Lebanese army’s increased presence, concerns remain over Hezbollah’s long-term compliance with disarmament demands. The group has historically resisted surrendering its weapons, citing the need to defend against Israeli aggression. However, mounting international pressure and Lebanon’s economic crisis may force concessions, with some factions within Hezbollah reportedly open to negotiated solutions.

President Aoun, who was in Qatar on Tuesday, told London-based news site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that "I seek to make 2025 the year of restricting arms to the state". The decision has been taken on the topic, and execution would take place "through dialogue, which I see as bilateral between the presidency and Hezbollah".

Analysts believe that the once-unthinkable disarmament of Hezbollah is now within reach, with the group weakened by the recent battle and Washington pressuring Lebanon to act while also putting pressure on the group's partner Iran over its nuclear program.

According to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Aoun suggested that Hezbollah militants join the army and be retrained, as numerous armed groups did following Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war. However, Lebanon would neither "absorb Hezbollah into the army" as a whole, "nor will it become an independent unit" inside the force, Aoun stated.

On Saturday, a Hezbollah source told AFP that the group has given the Lebanese army approximately 190 of its 265 military sites identified south of the Litani. In an interview with Qatari television Al Jazeera on Monday, Aoun stated that the army was "dismantling tunnels and warehouses and confiscating weapons bases" south of the Litani "without any problem from Hezbollah". He also said the army was “carrying out its duties north of the Litani” without objection from Hezbollah.