The IDF Spokesman announced Friday morning that overnight, Air Force fighter jets, guided by intelligence from the Military Intelligence Directorate, struck multiple Hezbollah targets in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley. These targets were identified as threats to both the Israeli home front and IDF forces.
Watch: Israeli warplanes struck several areas on Lebanon’s eastern border with Syria, marking another set of blatant violations of the ceasefire agreement. pic.twitter.com/Y6q8glFgAo
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) January 31, 2025
According to Arab media reports, Israeli warplanes attacked eastern Lebanon and the border area with Syria at around 3 AM Friday. The Lebanese Al-Manar channel claimed that the attack was carried out in the area of the village of Al-Qasr, on the Lebanese side of the border with Israel. In addition, there were reports that warplanes passed over southern Lebanon and over the capital Beirut.
On Thursday, the IDF Spokesman announced that a Hezbollah reconnaissance drone launched toward Israel had been intercepted. The statement clarified that “no alerts were activated according to policy.” The spokesman emphasized that “the IDF will not allow terrorist activity by Hezbollah in Lebanon and will take action to eliminate any threat to Israel and its citizens.”
In a statement Friday morning, the IDF Spokesman reiterated that the drone launch violated understandings between Israel and Lebanon, stating, “The IDF remains committed to the ceasefire agreements in Lebanon and will not allow the execution of terrorist operations of this nature. The IDF is deployed in southern Lebanon and will act to neutralize any threat to Israel and its forces.”
The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Israel had filed a complaint with the committee overseeing the ceasefire in Lebanon, alleging that Iran is funneling funds to Hezbollah in suitcases full of cash. According to the report, Israel informed the committee—chaired by the US—that suitcases containing tens of millions of dollars are being sent from Tehran to Lebanon to help rebuild the terrorist organization. The complaint claims these suitcases are arriving on flights from Tehran, as well as via Turkish citizens traveling from Istanbul.
The committee includes representatives from Israel, Lebanon, the US, France, and the UN. Officials from some member countries told the WSJ that they are “aware of Iran’s use of the Beirut airport to smuggle cash” and consider Israel’s claims credible.
