New Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon have reportedly wounded six individuals, drawing strong condemnation from Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and reigniting accusations of Israeli aggression targeting civilian infrastructure. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), however, asserts that its operations targeted facilities belonging to Hezbollah, including a site linked to an alleged front organization.
According to a statement from Lebanon’s Health Ministry, one person was injured in Bnaafoul, Saida district, and five others in Ansar, Nabatieh district, as a result of the strikes. President Aoun vehemently criticized the Israeli actions, stating they targeted “civilian facilities” and constituted a “breach of a ceasefire negotiated last year.” He further charged that “The repeated Israeli aggression comes as part of a systematic policy aimed at destroying productive infrastructure, hindering economic recovery, and undermining national stability under false security pretexts.”
The IDF’s assertion that it targeted Hezbollah facilities, including a site used by “Green Without Borders,” is not new. The military has previously identified “Green Without Borders” as a front for Hezbollah, alleging it conducts clandestine intelligence-gathering activities along the Israel-Lebanon border. This accusation was reiterated by Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, who published images on Twitter purporting to show alleged Hezbollah members observing Israel from a post near the border under the guise of the environmental group. The IDF claims these activities violate United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which prohibits armed groups other than the official Lebanese military and UNIFIL from operating south of the Litani River.
However, the United Nations has previously dismissed Israel’s claims regarding “Green Without Borders.” In 2017, UNIFIL stated that while members of the group were planting trees in the area, it had “not observed any unauthorized armed persons at the locations or found any basis to report a violation of resolution 1701.”
The recent strikes occur amidst heightened rhetoric and military posturing. Maj. Gen. Amir Baram, head of the IDF’s Northern Command, recently warned of intensified Hezbollah construction of military infrastructure near the border, vowing to “destroy all the infrastructure” and reduce it “to nothing.” Baram also criticized UNIFIL, suggesting they have failed to curb Hezbollah’s activities despite their presence. These comments followed threats from a senior Hezbollah official, Naim Qassem, who indicated the group’s readiness to use force against Israel over an ongoing maritime border dispute concerning a new gas production rig. Lebanese President had also labeled Israeli actions in the disputed territory as “a provocation and a hostile act.”
The IDF, in turn, has reportedly prepared to defend the gas rig, including deploying a sea-borne Iron Dome anti-missile battery, and recently conducted a major drill simulating a ground offensive in Lebanon. The escalating tensions underscore the volatile security situation along the Israel-Lebanon border, with both sides maintaining a state of high alert and readiness for potential conflict.