Hezbollah Orders Members to Stay Away from South Lebanon Amid Renewed Israeli Strikes
The internal directive, aimed at minimizing Israeli targeting, prohibits movement to the region even for family visits or personal reasons, according to local sources who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat.
The move comes as Israel resumed its targeted operations against Hezbollah after a week-long pause. The renewed strikes coincide with growing Lebanese calls to reactivate the ceasefire monitoring committee, following escalating tensions and violations.
On Thursday, two individuals were killed in separate Israeli airstrikes in south Lebanon, despite the ceasefire agreement brokered last November. Lebanon's Ministry of Health confirmed the fatalities.
According to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency, an Israeli drone strike hit a vehicle on the Toul-Kfour highway in the Nabatieh district, killing one person and injuring two others. A second airstrike targeted a truck in the southern coastal town of Naqoura, leaving one person dead.
Israeli authorities have reiterated that they will continue to act against Hezbollah to 'eliminate any threat' and prevent the group from reestablishing its military infrastructure. They have warned that strikes will continue unless Hezbollah is disarmed by the Lebanese state.
The latest attacks follow a series of five assassinations carried out last week, which Israel claimed targeted operatives involved in restoring Hezbollah's combat and artillery capabilities in the south.
Since the November ceasefire, Israel has reportedly carried out nearly 3,600 violations, by land, sea, and air, resulting in 253 deaths and 559 injuries, according to official Lebanese data.
Ongoing Israeli operations have severely limited Hezbollah's activity in both southern Lebanon and north of the Litani River. Local sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hezbollah issued a directive months ago prohibiting members, including fighters, from visiting southern areas, even for personal or family reasons, to avoid Israeli surveillance and targeting.
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