Despite the two incidents interrupting the relative calm on the Lebanese front since Saturday and Sunday, the broader ceasefire seemed to hold, News.Az reports, citing The Times of Israel.
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During the first incident, the IDF stated that a group of Hezbollah terrorists approached the ridge and were struck by the military in response. According to local Lebanese media, the IDF killed two and wounded two.
In a second incident later in the afternoon, the military said it attacked four Hezbollah fighters who had likewise approached the ridge in a bulldozer and on a motorcycle.
The IDF said that the vehicles were an attempt to disguise the Hezbollah terrorists as civilians. However, the IDF said its forces were still able to identify them as a threat, with some reports stating they were trying to enter a nearby tunnel.
According to the Israeli military, its troops fired warning shots to deter the Hezbollah operatives from approaching.
When the Hezbollah fighters continued their approach, the IDF troops opened fire at them directly, striking at least one fighter.
It was unclear what happened to the other Hezbollah operatives, and also unclear why the IDF fired warning shots only in the second incident, but not during the first.
In both cases, Hezbollah said that the IDF had violated the ceasefire, though at press time, it had not responded with any drone or rocket attacks.
Similar incidents occurred after the November 2024 ceasefire between the two sides, as Hezbollah regularly tested how strongly the IDF would enforce its positions within southern Lebanon.
In another dramatic development, the 30 or so Hezbollah operatives trapped in a tunnel near Tibnin – which was recently surrounded by IDF soldiers – are being allowed to live without surrendering for now, pending negotiations about IDF withdrawals.
All of this is concurrent with Israel and Lebanon’s new round of direct talks in Washington. These talks addressed a wide range of issues, including when and to what extent the IDF will withdraw from southern Lebanon.
Israel is offering modest withdrawals, possibly from places like Tibnin and the Ali Taher Ridge, which the IDF took over only last week.
