Israel Strikes Southern Lebanon Repeatedly Despite Ceasefire

Fresh Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon have left one person dead and seven others injured, underscoring the limits of the Nov. 2024 ceasefire and the difficulty of enforcing restraint along the Israel-Lebanon frontier.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said the latest casualties followed an attack on the town of Ebba in Nabatieh governorate, while a separate drone strike in Harouf set a car ablaze and wounded another civilian, according to Lebanon’s official news agency NNA.

The incidents add to what Lebanese authorities describe as a growing tally of post-ceasefire violations, even as formal truce mechanisms remain in place.

The ministry said one person was killed and six injured in Ebba, with a seventh wounded in Harouf.

Lebanese officials say Israeli ceasefire breaches have killed and wounded hundreds of civilians since the agreement took effect, while Israel continues to occupy five Lebanese hilltops seized during the latest war, in addition to other areas held for decades.

Israel’s campaign against Lebanon began in October 2023 and escalated into full-scale war in September 2024, killing more than 4,000 people and wounding about 17,000 others, according to Lebanese figures.

“Must Be Dismantled”

Israeli officials frame operations in Lebanon as part of a broader regional campaign against Iran-aligned groups. On Jan. 27, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Iran’s proxy groups in the Middle East - Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen - “must be dismantled” to achieve regional stability, calling this Israel’s main objective.

Lebanese leaders, by contrast, have repeatedly called on international partners to pressure Tel Aviv to halt attacks and adhere to ceasefire terms, while Hezbollah has said on more than one occasion that it remains committed to the truce and is seeking Israeli withdrawal from areas occupied during the last war.

The current pattern of intermittent strikes builds on earlier incidents that have strained the ceasefire’s credibility and raised concerns about even the safety of international forces. On Jan. 13, Israeli Merkava tanks fired three shells near a Spanish patrol serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The rounds landed about 150 to 380 meters from the peacekeepers, forcing the patrol to withdraw. No injuries were reported, but the unit said it was subjected to laser tracking during the episode.

Separately, on Nov. 26 the United Nations said Israeli strikes had killed at least 127 civilians in Lebanon since last year’s ceasefire, highlighting persistent risks to noncombatants.

Pressure on Lebanese State Capacity

Diplomatic and security pressure has also fallen on Lebanon’s own institutions. On Nov. 10, Reuters reported that Israel was urging the Lebanese Army to search private homes in southern Lebanon for Hezbollah weapons, arguing that the group was rearming. Beirut declined, citing fears of civil unrest and mission creep that could fuel a new round of conflict.

The standoff illustrates the constraints facing Lebanon’s state apparatus as it tries to balance ceasefire compliance, internal stability, and external demands.

Ceasefire Enforcement Gap

Together, the Ebba and Harouf strikes, the Jan. 13 UNIFIL incident, and the wider casualty figures since October 2023 point to a ceasefire that limits escalation but has not stopped kinetic activity. With more than 4,000 killed, about 17,000 wounded, at least 127 civilians confirmed dead since last year’s truce, and five hilltops still occupied, the operational reality on the ground continues to diverge from the formal commitments of November 2024.