Israeli Air Force Pounds Hezbollah Strongholds; Fragile Ceasefire Comes Under Cloud

Beirut, October 17 (TNA) The Israeli Air Force launched a fresh wave of airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon on Thursday, escalating tensions with Hezbollah and pushing the fragile ceasefire deal to the brink of collapse. According to Lebanese officials, 12 Israeli air raids targeted towns including Bnaafoul, Khirbet Dweir, Roumine, and Baalbek, killing one person and injuring at least seven others, among them women and children.

Witnesses described powerful explosions that lit up the night skies over Sidon and Nabatieh, while Israeli drones struck Blida in the Marjayoun district as civilians harvested olives. The Israeli military said its forces targeted storage and reconstruction sites allegedly being used by Hezbollah to rebuild its military network.

The renewed strikes come less than a year after the 2024 truce brokered by the United States ended a devastating 14-month conflict that claimed over 4,000 lives in Lebanon and caused $11 billion in damage, according to World Bank estimates. Hezbollah, which has faced heavy losses, is believed to be redeploying along the border in defiance of the UN Resolution 1701, which mandates a demilitarised zone between the Blue Line and the Litani River.

Lebanese President Michel Moawad condemned the latest Israeli attacks as a “blatant violation of sovereignty,” warning that the escalations could reignite a full-scale war. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has called for immediate restraint from both sides as the region braces for potential retaliation.