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Rohini Reenum
14 November 2025 |
In the news
On 8 November, Israel carried out air raids and drone attacks between the towns of Ain Ata and Shebaa, Bint Jbeil and Baraachit in Southern Lebanon, marking the latest violation of the US and France-brokered November 2024 ceasefire with Hezbollah. Three people were killed and eleven were injured. Israel maintained that it targeted Hezbollah members and its “military installations” for refusing to disarm as per the ceasefire.
On 6 November, Israel carried out multiple airstrikes in Southern Lebanon, killing one person and injuring nine others. The Lebanese government and Hezbollah condemned these attacks “as a flagrant violation of a one-year-old ceasefire.”
Issues at large
First, a brief note on Israel-Lebanon relations. The Israel-Lebanon conflict goes back to Israel’s occupation of a part of southern Lebanon during the Arab-Israeli war of 1948, when 100,000 Palestinian refugees fled to Lebanon. Later, Lebanon became home to Palestinian refugees and anti-Israel groups such as the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), its splinter groups, including Abu Nidal Organization (ANO). This led to increased cross-border attacks, especially after the PLO shifted base from Jordan to Lebanon in 1970. This resulted in Israel’s first invasion of Lebanon during the 1978 Lebanese Civil War, occupying a narrow zone in the South and backing a local Christian militia, the South Lebanese Army (SLA). In 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon again, extending up to West Beirut in retaliation for cross-border attacks by the PLO. This move gave birth to Hezbollah with alleged support from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Since then, the Israeli-Lebanon conflict turned into an Israeli-Hezbollah conflict. In 1983, Israel withdrew its forces from Beirut but continued to occupy Southern Lebanon until 2000.
Second, a brief note on Israel-Hezbollah relations. Hezbollah, a Shi’ite armed group, was formed to counter the Israeli occupation of Lebanon. Its manifesto mentions resistance against/ elimination of Israel, along with support for Iran. It is widely believed that Hezbollah’s attacks forced Israel to withdraw from Southern Lebanon in 2000. Since then, violence has intermittently broken out between the two, including a five-week war in 2006, and the most recent clash in 2023 following Hamas’s 7 October attack on Israel.
Third, a background to the recent conflict. The recent violence between the two began when Hezbollah started cross-border strikes in solidarity with Hamas. Israel retaliated with strikes and the subsequent targeted killing of Hezbollah’s leadership, including Hassan Nasrallah. The biggest blow to Hezbollah came in September 2024 when thousands of hand-held pagers belonging to its operatives exploded, causing severe damage to its communication channels and morale. Hezbollah blamed Israel for the attack; however, the latter refrained from commenting. Despite this setback, Hezbollah continued its attacks, demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. On 1 October 2024, Israel invaded Southern Lebanon, marking the sixth Israeli invasion. On 26 November 2024, both sides signed a US-France-brokered ceasefire agreement.
Fourth, ceasefire violations and Israeli attacks. Both sides have accused each other of ceasefire violations. According to Al Jazeera, Israel has continued near-daily attacks since the ceasefire began. In the past week, Israel intensified attacks on Southern Lebanon. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Israel of intensifying attacks after he proposed negotiations for lasting peace. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Hezbollah is trying to rearm and recuperate and that Israel will do anything to prevent that. Israel has refused to withdraw from Southern Lebanon as per the agreement and is demanding that Hezbollah withdraw to north of the Litani River. Hezbollah has not launched any attacks post-ceasefire. However, The Wall Street Journal quoted Arab and Israeli intelligence that it is rearming and rebuilding its ranks in violation of the ceasefire agreement. Hezbollah has offered to consider disarming if Israel withdraws and stops its attacks.
In perspective
First, a weakened Hezbollah and Israel’s endgame. Hezbollah has been a long-standing source of threat and instability to Israel, especially on its northern border. With Hezbollah significantly weakened after the 2024 war (Hezbollah has not been able to launch any significant attacks against Israel in the past year), Israel views this as an opportunity to dismantle its adversary permanently or at least get the Lebanese government to disarm the group. After the Hamas attack, Israel’s endgame has been to completely obliterate regional non-state armed groups that pose a threat, mainly Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. The Hamas attack and the other two groups joining in solidarity have provided it with the pretext to continue its attacks in Lebanon and Yemen. The war in Gaza has provided adequate cover for Israel’s transgressions across the region, reflected in its ground and air incursions into Syria and the blatant attack on Doha.
Second, Israel’s ceasefire violations are a new normal. Israel is not only violating the ceasefire in Lebanon but also in Gaza. Some analysts have called this the “Lebanonisation of Gaza”, where there is “no war, no peace” and attacks continue despite the ceasefire. It's a model that works well for Israel. The political/moral pressure to agree to a ceasefire has lifted, while attacks can be continued with various justifications until war aims are met. This undermines not just Israel’s credibility but international norms, law, trust and order and sets a dangerous precedent for the future.
About the author
Rohini Reenum is a PhD Scholar at NIAS.
