Escalating Tensions: Israel Launches Airstrikes on Hezbollah Targets in Lebanon
Israel carried out a series of airstrikes targeting Hezbollah sites across Lebanon on Thursday, February 5, 2026, escalating tensions along the countries’ shared border. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated the strikes were in response to threats posed by the militant group and violations of understandings established in a ceasefire last year.
The IDF reported that strikes destroyed launch sites and other terrorist infrastructure at a training camp used by Hezbollah operatives. While the exact location of the training camp was not specified, the military indicated it was used for training exercises, live-fire drills, artillery operations, and weapons storage. Additional strikes targeted buildings used by Hezbollah for weapons storage and operations deep inside Lebanon, according to the IDF.
The strikes come as a deadline for Hezbollah to disarm looms, and a day before a meeting of the committee monitoring the enforcement of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that halted clashes between Israel and Hezbollah a year ago. The committee includes representatives from Israel, Lebanon, the United States, France, and the U.N. Peacekeeping force deployed along the border. This meeting will be the second of its kind, having broadened from a military-only committee to include civilian members.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that several strikes targeted mountainous areas in the southern and eastern parts of the country. A strike also targeted a Hezbollah operative in the Taybeh area of southern Lebanon, and a vehicle in Taybeh was reportedly struck by an Israeli drone. It remains unclear if there were any casualties as a result of the strikes.
The current ceasefire, brokered by Washington in 2024, ended over a year of clashes between Israel, and Hezbollah. However, Israel has continued to strike Lebanon on a near-daily basis, prompting concern over the fragility of the truce. Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun stated last year that his country “has adopted the option of negotiations with Israel,” aiming to halt the continued attacks.
The recent wave of bombardments appears to be part of a series of escalating sorties intended to hinder Hezbollah’s attempts to rebuild its forces. Mediators are working to prevent a renewed Israeli military operation and maintain the year-old ceasefire.
In Paris, Lebanon’s army commander, General Rodolph Haikal, held meetings with U.S., French, and Saudi officials to discuss ways to bolster the Lebanese army’s presence in the border area. French armed forces chief of staff, General Fabien Mandon, discussed the strategic environment and security challenges in Lebanon and the region with Haikal.
The strikes targeted Mount Safi, the town of Jbaa, the Zefta Valley, and the area between Azza and Rumin Arki in “several waves,” according to Lebanese state media. The IDF, in a post on X, said it struck sites linked to Hezbollah, including a special operations training compound used by its elite Radwan Force, as well as rocket-launching sites.
