Israeli Military Launches Intense Strikes on East, South Lebanon

By Al Mayadeen English

20 Mar 2025 22:22

"Israel" continues to violate a ceasefire agreement, launching several airstrikes on Lebanese territory.

Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes on Thursday targeting areas in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, as well as in the south, violating an already fragile ceasefire in place since late November 2024.

Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in the Bekaa reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted the outskirts of Shmestar, west of the city of Baalbek.

The Israeli occupation military also struck the highlands surrounding the Lebanese town of Nabi Sheet in the eastern mountain range, according to our correspondent.

In southern Lebanon, the Israeli military launched four intense airstrikes on the outskirts of Jbaa in the Iqlim al-Tuffah region.

The November 27 ceasefire agreement ended an Israeli war on Lebanon, but "Israel" has since continued to carry out strikes and maintained a military presence in five locations in southern Lebanon, near the border with occupied Palestine.

Earlier on Thursday, Germany's Foreign Ministry Annalena Baerbock met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun who, according to a statement, said that "Israel's" "continued occupation" of areas of southern Lebanon "runs counter to the agreement of last November."

He also said the Israeli presence "hinders the implementation of (UN Security Council) Resolution 1701," which ended a 2006 war between "Israel" and Hezbollah and served as the foundation for the November truce.

"Israel has refused all Lebanese proposals to evacuate the five hills still occupied" by its troops and "to replace them with international forces," Aoun told Baerbock according to the presidency's statement.