Israeli aircraft launched a series of continuous airstrikes on the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon on Thursday evening, marking an unprecedented escalation in weeks.
The raids came on the eve of the deadline given to Lebanon by US Special Envoy Tom Barak to secure a pledge from Hezbollah to disarm, and ahead of a government session scheduled to discuss the matter.
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced that the Israeli army "attacked Hezbollah's largest precision-guided missile production site in Lebanon." He said, "The policy of imposing maximum sanctions against Hezbollah will continue. Any attempt by the party to rehabilitate itself will be met with uncompromising force." He also held the Lebanese government responsible for violating the ceasefire agreement. The Lebanese National News Agency reported that Israeli aircraft targeted several areas in southern Lebanon with at least six raids, and carried out at least five raids on the eastern mountain range.
The National News Agency reported five airstrikes on the eastern mountain range in the Bekaa Valley, targeting the outskirts of Brital, the town of Nasiriyah - Tallet el-Sandouk area, the Shaara area, and the shrine of the Prophet Ismail. Three airstrikes also targeted the outskirts of Aishiyeh, the birthplace of President Joseph Aoun, and the towns of Mahmoudiyah and Khardali in the south.
Israeli warplanes were seen flying intensively at low altitude over the Bekaa Valley.
This Israeli escalation came hours after statements by Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, and hours after a speech by the Lebanese president in which he called on Hezbollah to hand over its weapons. On Wednesday, Qassem linked the discussion about Hezbollah's weapons to an Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories, launching an attack on anyone calling for this, saying, "Anyone demanding the handover of weapons today is demanding that they be handed over to Israel and serving the Israeli project."
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The occupation launches a wave of raids on Hezbollah sites on the eve of Barak's deadline.