On November 8, 2025, the fragile peace along the Lebanon-Israel border was shattered once again, as a series of Israeli airstrikes struck southern Lebanon, killing at least three people—including two brothers—and injuring more than a dozen others. The attacks, which Lebanese officials and international observers say violate the nearly year-old ceasefire, have reignited tensions in a region already teetering on the edge.
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), the most deadly of Saturday’s strikes targeted a four-wheel-drive vehicle traveling between the southeastern towns of Ain Ata and Shebaa, along the western slopes of Mount Hermon. The vehicle, carrying two brothers from Shebaa, was hit by an Israeli drone, causing it to burst into flames and resulting in both men’s deaths. The Lebanese Health Ministry later confirmed the fatalities, while Israel’s military claimed the men were “terrorists” involved in smuggling weapons for Hezbollah’s Lebanese Resistance Brigades. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated, “The terrorists were involved in smuggling weapons used by Hezbollah and their activities constituted a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
Only hours later, another Israeli drone attack struck a car near Salah Ghandour Hospital in the southern town of Bint Jbeil, injuring seven people. The Ministry of Health Affairs reported that two guided missiles were launched at the vehicle in a densely populated area, further endangering civilians. A third strike followed in the Baraachit area, killing one person and injuring four more, as reported by both NNA and the Lebanese Health Ministry. These attacks formed part of a day-long escalation that left southern Lebanon reeling.
Israel has justified its actions by asserting that Hezbollah is exploiting the ceasefire to rearm and rebuild its military infrastructure in southern Lebanon. The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit explained that the Baraachit strike eliminated a Hezbollah operative “involved in attempts to rehabilitate Hezbollah military infrastructure in the area.” Earlier that week, Israeli forces had carried out a series of air raids on several southern towns after issuing evacuation warnings to residents—the broadest such order since the November 2024 ceasefire took effect. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing an International Criminal Court warrant for alleged war crimes in Gaza, warned recently that Israel “will not allow any threat to the residents of the north” and that “maximum enforcement will continue and even intensify.” Defense Minister Israel Katz echoed these sentiments, emphasizing Israel’s right to conduct operations to protect its border.
Yet, these justifications have found little sympathy among the Lebanese government and the international community. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the attacks as a “flagrant breach” of international law, while Iran denounced them as “savage” and called for urgent international intervention. The Lebanese army accused Israel of seeking to “undermine Lebanon’s stability” and obstructing the full deployment of Lebanese forces in accordance with the ceasefire agreement. In a statement, the army said Israel’s actions were “preventing the completion of the army’s deployment” in line with the November 2024 truce.
The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, was unequivocal in its assessment. According to UNIFIL, Israel’s attacks threaten civilians and undermine efforts by the Lebanese military to assert control over “unauthorized weapons and infrastructure” in southern Lebanon—a likely reference to Hezbollah’s continuing presence. The ceasefire, brokered in November 2024 after more than a year of hostilities, was supposed to see Lebanon’s army take responsibility for security in the south and disarm Hezbollah by the end of 2025. However, Hezbollah’s leader, Naim Qassem, has repeatedly insisted that the group will not disarm as long as Israel continues attacks and occupies Lebanese territory. Qassem recently rejected Lebanon’s cabinet plan to disarm Hezbollah, calling it “hasty” and dangerous.
The European Union added its voice to the growing chorus of concern, condemning the latest Israeli strikes and calling for immediate adherence to the ceasefire. EU foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni stated, “The EU calls on Israel to cease all actions that violate resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement reached a year ago in November 2024.” He also urged Hezbollah and other Lebanese groups to “refrain from any measures or responses that could further inflame the situation,” emphasizing that “focus by all parties must be on preserving the ceasefire and the progress achieved so far.”
Despite these appeals, the situation on the ground remains volatile. Since the ceasefire, Israel has maintained troops in five areas of southern Lebanon and carried out near-daily attacks, which it claims target Hezbollah positions. The Israeli military argues that Lebanon is acting too slowly to disarm Hezbollah and that it must take action to prevent the group from reestablishing its military infrastructure. On Thursday, November 6, Israel announced a series of strikes in southern Lebanon and urged civilians to evacuate the targeted areas, citing the need to protect its citizens from attack.
For Lebanese civilians, these justifications offer little comfort. The ongoing violence has taken a heavy toll: since October 2023, Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed more than 4,000 people and injured nearly 17,000, according to local reports. The strikes have also complicated efforts by the Lebanese army to assert control in the south, as required by the ceasefire. The Lebanese government, under heavy pressure from the United States, has ordered the army to draft a plan to disarm Hezbollah, but the group’s refusal to comply has left the process in limbo.
Hezbollah, for its part, maintains that it remains committed to the ceasefire but insists it will not disarm while Israel occupies Lebanese territory and continues its attacks. The group, backed by Iran, is the only major faction in Lebanon that refused to disarm after the country’s 1975-1990 civil war, arguing that it has a duty to defend Lebanese territory from Israeli occupation. The assassination of Hezbollah’s longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah in September 2024, which decimated much of the group’s senior leadership, has only hardened its resolve.
As the anniversary of the ceasefire approaches, the border region is once again on a knife’s edge. International actors warn that further escalation could undo the progress achieved over the past year and plunge Lebanon and Israel back into full-scale conflict. For now, the world watches anxiously, hoping that calls for restraint will be heeded before more lives are lost.
