The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has entered a new and dangerous phase, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intensified their operations across Lebanon in late August and early September 2025. With strikes targeting Hezbollah strongholds both north and south of the Litani River, the region has witnessed a dramatic escalation in military activity, casualties, and warnings about the future stability of the border.
According to The Long War Journal, the last week of August saw the IDF conduct a sweeping series of operations throughout Lebanon. Between August 25 and August 31, 2025, Israeli forces targeted Hezbollah assets and personnel in at least 18 locales, carrying out 19 airstrikes or aerial activities, three ground incursions, and dropping leaflets in three different areas. These operations were not limited to the usual hotspots but extended well beyond, striking targets both north and south of the Litani River—a line established by the 2006 ceasefire as a buffer zone to prevent Hezbollah from operating in southern Lebanon.
The IDF’s actions during this period were varied and, at times, audacious. On August 25, Israeli ground forces searched the “Harb” factory on the Markaba-Adaisseh road in the Marjayoun District, leaving behind flyers that warned, “Some of the individuals with whom you work are suspected of connections to Hezbollah.” Later that morning, a drone strike near Tebnine killed a Hezbollah operative involved in efforts to restore military infrastructure, as reported by NNA Lebanon. The victim, later identified as Hussain Ahmad Baddah, was from a family deeply entwined in the group’s history, with two brothers previously killed in clashes with Israel and in Syria.
The violence wasn’t limited to Hezbollah operatives. On August 28, a tragic incident unfolded in Naqoura in the Tyre District, when an Israeli quadcopter crashed and exploded while being inspected by Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) personnel. The blast killed First Adjutant Rifaat Al Taaimi and First Lieutenant Mohammad Ismail, wounding two others. The IDF later attributed the explosion to a technical error, but the loss of LAF servicemen—who are not directly involved in the hostilities—added a volatile element to the already tense situation.
Airstrikes continued apace. On August 29, a targeted drone strike near Seer Al Gharbiyeh killed Ahmad Naim Maatouq, a commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force. The IDF described Maatouq as a staff official who oversaw several attacks against Israel during the recent war, and stated that his activities “constituted a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.” Hezbollah did not immediately confirm his death, reflecting the group’s caution in publicizing losses among senior ranks.
The final day of August brought a crescendo of violence. Israeli jets launched a series of 10 airstrikes targeting forested areas and underground structures in the Nabatieh Governorate, which the IDF said were being used for “military activity” in violation of previous agreements. Drone strikes that day killed at least one more Hezbollah operative, Ibrahim Ali Toubi, whose nom de guerre was Sajed, as confirmed by Hezbollah-affiliated social media.
Throughout these operations, the IDF also engaged in psychological warfare, dropping leaflets over southern Lebanese villages. Some warned against collaboration with Hezbollah, while others announced the deaths of operatives like Mohammad Hussain Qassem and threatened continued action against those “seeking to rebuild terror infrastructure for Hezbollah in the border villages.” The message was clear: Israel would not tolerate any attempt by Hezbollah to regroup or rearm in areas close to its border.
The broader context for these operations is the fragile balance established after the 2006 Second Lebanon War. The ceasefire, which went into effect on November 27, 2006, required Hezbollah to withdraw north of the Litani River. For years, this uneasy truce held, with both sides maintaining a tense standoff. That changed dramatically on October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel in solidarity with Hamas’s attack on southern Israel the previous day. Israel responded by evacuating roughly 60,000 residents from its northern border and launching targeted strikes designed to limit Hezbollah’s capabilities while avoiding a full-scale war.
The conflict escalated further in September 2024, when Israel killed Hezbollah’s longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah, along with several other senior commanders. According to the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, nearly a year of sustained fighting has devastated Hezbollah’s command structure and weapons stockpiles. Israel claims to have killed about 4,150 Hezbollah fighters in more than 15,000 strikes since the outbreak of war, while suffering 133 fatalities of its own—many from the more than 4,000 rockets fired by Hezbollah into Israeli territory.
Recent operations have not been without controversy. The killing of Lebanese Armed Forces servicemen has raised alarms among Lebanese officials, who see the LAF as a vital institution for maintaining order and sovereignty. Meanwhile, Israel has defended its actions as necessary for self-defense, with the IDF stating, “The storage of weapons and the activities of the Hezbollah terrorist organization at these sites constitute a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon and constitute a threat to the State of Israel.” The military added, “The IDF will continue to operate to remove any threat to the State of Israel and will prevent the reestablishment of the Hezbollah terrorist organization.”
Hezbollah and its supporters, for their part, argue that Israel’s repeated incursions and airstrikes constitute acts of aggression and a violation of Lebanese sovereignty. The group frames its resistance as a legitimate response to Israeli occupation and attacks, while critics within Lebanon warn that Hezbollah’s actions are dragging the country toward another devastating war. Civilians, caught in the crossfire, are left to contend with the constant threat of violence, displacement, and economic instability.
As the summer of 2025 draws to a close, the situation remains highly volatile. Israeli operations have become more frequent and far-reaching, targeting not just frontline positions but command centers, training compounds, and underground infrastructure deep inside Lebanese territory. The deaths of senior Hezbollah operatives, the targeting of LAF personnel, and the psychological campaigns waged via leaflet drops all point to a conflict that is evolving in both scale and complexity.
With no clear end in sight, the border between Israel and Lebanon stands as one of the world’s most dangerous flashpoints. Both sides appear determined to pursue their objectives, even at great cost, raising the specter of a wider war that neither country can afford. For now, the pattern of strike and counterstrike continues, each action underscoring the fragility of the peace that has held—however imperfectly—for nearly two decades.