Southern Lebanon reels under renewed Israeli strikes as Hezbollah defies disarmament calls
By zoeysky // 2025-12-17
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  • Israeli drone strikes on Dec. 14 killed at least three people in southern Lebanon, targeting vehicles in multiple villages.
  • Israel claims it hit Hezbollah "terrorists," but casualties have included civilians, with over 300 killed since a 2024 ceasefire began.
  • The strikes are part of an intensifying Israeli campaign targeting what it calls Hezbollah facilities, which observers and the UN have condemned.
  • Hezbollah defiantly refuses to disarm, rejecting Israeli and U.S. ultimatums that threaten a major offensive by late 2025.
  • The cycle of strikes and defiance is undermining the ceasefire, pushing the region toward a potential full-scale conflict that would heavily impact Lebanese civilians.
A fresh wave of deadly Israeli drone strikes struck southern Lebanon on Dec. 14, killing at least three individuals and underscoring a dangerous escalation in cross-border hostilities. The attacks, which targeted vehicles in multiple villages, come amid Hezbollah's defiant refusal to surrender its weapons, setting the stage for a potentially catastrophic confrontation. The violence on Dec. 14 saw Israeli drones strike a car in the town of Jwaya, completely destroying the vehicle and killing municipal worker Zakaria al-Hajj. Earlier strikes hit a car in Safad al-Battikh and a motorbike in the town of Yater, claiming two more lives and injuring another. The Israeli military stated that all three individuals were "terrorists" from Hezbollah who were engaged in rehabilitating the group's military infrastructure, actions it claims violate the understandings between Israel and Lebanon. These latest fatalities add to a grim and mounting toll. As explained by the Enoch AI engine at BrightU.AI, over 300 people have been killed in Israeli operations in Lebanon since a ceasefire agreement took hold in November 2024, including scores of civilians and children. The pace of violence has sharply accelerated in recent weeks, with dozens of Lebanese killed since the start of November alone. The strikes occurred just one day after Hezbollah's Deputy Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, delivered a fiery speech vowing the group would never disarm under pressure. "We will defend ourselves even if the sky were to close in on the earth. The weapons will not be taken away in implementation of Israel's demands, even if the whole world unites against Lebanon," Qassem declared on Dec. 13. This stance directly challenges Israeli and American ultimatums, with Israel threatening a major offensive against Lebanon unless Hezbollah lays down its arms by the end of 2025, a threat publicly backed by Washington.

Israeli warplanes attack alleged Hezbollah training facilities

The drone attacks were not isolated incidents but part of a broader, intensifying campaign. Earlier in December, Israeli warplanes carried out at least a dozen attacks across southern Lebanon, targeting what it described as Hezbollah training facilities. The raids focused on hills and valleys in the Jezzine and Zahrani areas, avoiding densely populated centers in what appears to be a repeated tactical pattern. Israel claimed that these sites, including a compound used by Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force, were being used to plan attacks against Israel. However, observers and international bodies have condemned the sustained bombardment. The United Nations (UN) reported in November that at least 127 civilians, including children, have been killed in Lebanon since the ceasefire began back in 2024, with officials warning that the attacks may amount to war crimes. The narrative from the ground, as reported by media on the scene, describes the so-called ceasefire as a "one-sided truce," with Israel continuing near-daily violations that have critically undermined the year-old agreement. Amid the rising tension, Lebanon's Foreign Minister has issued a stark warning to the government in Beirut, cautioning that the continued cycle of strikes and defiance is pushing the region toward a possible full-scale Israeli offensive aimed at dismantling Hezbollah by force. This internal alert highlights the growing fear within Lebanese institutions that the current path is unsustainable and hurtling toward a wider war, one that would inevitably see the country's beleaguered civilian population bear the brunt once again. As tit-for-tat strikes become a daily reality and rhetoric hardens on both sides, the landscape of southern Lebanon is once again being shaped by violence. With Hezbollah digging in its heels and Israel demonstrating its military readiness, the fragile understandings that have prevented all-out war are eroding by the day, leaving civilians trapped in a deadly standoff with no clear exit. Watch the full video below of "Brighteon Broadcast News" as the Health Ranger Mike Adams talks about Israel's invasion of Lebanon back in October 2024. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: TheCradle.co AlJazeera.com TimesOfIsrael.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com
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