Israel said it conducted an air strike on a Hezbollah weapons facility on Thursday, the first since a ceasefire in the war in Lebanon took effect.
The truce, which came into force on Wednesday, seeks to end a war that has killed thousands in Lebanon and sparked mass displacements in both Lebanon and Israel.
The war began with Hezbollah firing into Israel in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas and its unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel.
Israel shifted its focus from Gaza to Lebanon in September to secure its northern border from Hezbollah attacks, dealing the Iran-backed Shiite Muslim movement a series of heavy blows.
Lebanon deployed troops and tanks on Thursday across the country’s south, where Hezbollah has long held sway, where only the army and UN peacekeepers are to maintain a presence under the terms of the ceasefire.
“A short while ago, terrorist activity was identified in a facility used by Hezbollah to store mid-range rockets in southern Lebanon,” the Israeli military said, adding that “the threat was thwarted” by its air force.
Nazih Eid, mayor of Baysariyeh in south Lebanon, told AFP a strike had hit an area of his town.
“They targeted a forested area not accessible to civilians,” he said.
The deal to end the war in Lebanon was brokered by Israel’s top ally the United States and France.
Under the agreement, Israeli troops will hold their positions but “a 60-day period will commence in which the Lebanese military and security forces will begin their deployment towards the south”, a US official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
Then, Israel should begin a phased withdrawal without a vacuum forming that Hezbollah or others could rush into, the official said.