Lebanon ceasefire: Israel strikes target Hezbollah sites

Israel said late Thursday that its forces had struck two sites that allegedly contained weapons belonging to the Hezbollah group, a Hamas ally, despite a ceasefire deal.

Israel's forces "conducted a precise strike in Lebanese territory on two military sites that contained Hezbollah weapons, which were in violation of the ceasefire agreement," the Israeli army said in a statement on social media platform X.

Previously sporadic fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalated on October 8, 2023, following Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israel. 

Ceasefire agreement extended until mid-February

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a truce in November 2024, after 13 months of conflict between Israeli forces and the Iranian-backed Lebanese armed group.

As part of the agreement, Hezbollah was to withdraw north of Lebanon's Litani River while Israeli soldiers were to gradually pull back south of the Blue Line into Israel within 60 days. 

Both sides have accused each other of violations of the agreement. The White House said last month that the truce had been extended until February 18.