Jerusalem: The Israeli military said on Thursday it had launched a series of air strikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, shortly after warning residents in several villages to evacuate specific buildings ahead of the attacks.

“The Defense Army has launched a series of airstrikes on military targets of the terrorist Hezbollah in southern Lebanon,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. The warnings were issued via social media posts and local communication channels, with residents of the villages of Taybeh, Tayr Debba, and Aita al-Jabal urged to leave designated areas before the strikes began.

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s health ministry reported that one person was killed in an Israeli strike on Thursday. The Israeli military said the target was a Hezbollah construction team.

The latest escalation came as Hezbollah rejected any suggestion of political talks between Lebanon and Israel, asserting its right to “defend itself.” A source close to the group’s political leadership told AFP that the statement followed increased pressure from the United States and Egypt on Lebanese officials to consider direct negotiations with Israel.

Although Lebanon and Israel remain technically in a state of war, hostilities in recent years have largely involved Hezbollah rather than the Lebanese army. The two countries maintain only indirect communication through a ceasefire monitoring mechanism involving the United Nations, France, and the United States. These meetings, held at the UN peacekeeping force’s headquarters in southern Lebanon, do not include direct talks between Israeli and Lebanese representatives.

AFP