An aircraft operated by the Israel Air Force carried out a strike early Wednesday to eliminate a Hezbollah terrorist operating in southern Lebanon in violation of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon.
The operative was seen handling weaponry near the village of Ayta ash Shab, according to the IDF.
Ayta ash Shab is located just two kilometers – about a mile and a half – across the border from the northern Israeli community of Shtula.
All Hezbollah operatives were to have moved north of the Litani River, and all weaponry and terrorist infrastructure was to have been removed and/or destroyed by February 18, according to the deadline set under a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon.
Following the 2006 Second Lebanon War, a similar ceasefire agreement was reached with Israel but was immediately ignored by the United Nations, Hezbollah and the Lebanese government, enabling the terrorist army to rebuild its forces and arsenal. This time, the Israeli government has pledged not to make the same mistake.
In accordance with the agreement, Israel withdrew nearly all its forces from southern Lebanon on Tuesday — but left some forces deployed in five strategic positions as a deterrent and to maintain protection for northern Israeli communities.
“The IDF continues to operate to remove any threat to the State of Israel, in accordance with the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the IDF said.
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have destroyed 103 terrorist targets in Ayta ash Shab, including 51 tunnel shafts reaching a depth of some 25 meters (82 feet) beneath the surface, and nine rocket launchers with missiles pointed at Israel.
During the 2006 Second Lebanon War, Ayta ash Shab was the scene of a fierce between Israeli forces and the Hezbollah terrorist army that lasted two and a half weeks.
