Israel intensifies pressure on Lebanon through ceasefire violations

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Israel is expected to continue its violations of the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah as part of a broader pressure campaign on Beirut, a senior Lebanese military source told The National on Monday. It comes as a top Lebanese official has accused Israel of attempting to lure the country into normalising relations.

“More Israeli air strikes are expected to target Lebanon, and Israeli troops will likely remain in the five strategic positions they control in southern Lebanon for now,” said the military source.

Tensions have escalated in recent days. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported one person killed on Sunday in an Israeli drone strike, following the most intense escalation since a November ceasefire halted the year-long war between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Seven people were killed in Israeli attacks on Saturday, including in the southern city of Tyre.

Israel has said the strikes were “a response to rocket fire towards Israel”. Hezbollah denied any involvement in the rocket fire and called Israel's accusations “pretexts for its continued attacks on Lebanon”.

“The launch sites look improvised, and it’s unlikely that Hezbollah was involved,” a senior Lebanese security source told The National. “Whoever carried out the attack seems to be trying to pull Lebanon back into war. At this point, Israel is the primary suspect – potentially using agents on the ground to justify a new escalation.” The Lebanese military is investigating the incident.

However, some Lebanese voices, particularly those opposed to Hezbollah, argue that no group could have launched rockets without Hezbollah's approval.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told Asharq Al Awsat newspaper that “Israel intends to draw us into political negotiations leading to the normalisation of relations between the two countries, but this is out of question for us".

"The agreement currently in place enjoys international and Arab support, as well as the backing of the United Nations. We are implementing it and adhering to it to the letter, while Israel is the one obstructing its execution and attempting to circumvent it,” said Mr Berri.

Despite the truce deal, Israel has continued to strike Lebanese territory, claiming that it is hitting Hezbollah military sites that violate the agreement.

Unifil representative Andrea Tenenti told The National that since November, peacekeepers have recorded more than 1,600 air violations and more than 600 rocket or missile trajectories from Israel, as well as about two-dozen air strikes within their area of operations, which extends from the Blue Line – the UN-delineated border between Lebanon and Israel – to the Litani River, about 30km from the border.

Under the ceasefire terms, Hezbollah is required to withdraw its forces north of the Litani River and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south. Israel, for its part, was supposed to withdraw across the Blue Line but has missed two deadlines and continues to hold five positions it deems "strategic".

Israel and Hezbollah interpret the ceasefire agreement differently. Israel asserts that the ceasefire demands Hezbollah fully disarms, not only in southern Lebanon but across the entire country. Hezbollah maintains that the agreement only requires it to disarm south of the Litani River.

A US official has previously told The National that Israel’s continued presence in these positions serves both security and strategic objectives. “In addition to security concerns, there’s a long-term strategic reasoning to keep the Lebanese government in check and eventually, push Lebanon towards a long-term peace agreement with Israel. It’s a long-game, steady-state approach,” said the US official.

Lebanese officials have reiterated their rejection of normalisation or any direct political talks. While Israel and Lebanon agreed earlier this month to open negotiations to delineate the border between the two countries, these discussions will be strictly military, indirect and mediated by the US, France and the UN, said the Lebanese security source.

A French diplomatic source told The National that special envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian will arrive in Beirut on Wednesday for a two-day visit, during which he will meet Lebanese officials. President Joseph Aoun will leave for Paris on the 28th, the source added.