Ceasefire Broken, Troops Killed
Israeli Airstrike Kills Several Lebanese Troops in South Lebanon Days After Ceasefire Deal
An Israeli airstrike killed several Lebanese army soldiers, including a senior officer, just days after a fragile ceasefire took hold in southern Lebanon, WTOP reported. The strike hit a road connecting the city of Nabatiyeh with the town of Marjayoun on December 5, 2024 — a critical route used by civilians trying to return home.
The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) confirmed the casualties but released no further details. The attack drew immediate outrage in Beirut and alarm from Washington, threatening to unravel a deal the U.S. and France spent months brokering. Lebanon's Ministry of Defense had already logged over 70 alleged Israeli violations since the ceasefire began, Reuters noted.
How the Ceasefire Came Together — Then Cracked
The conflict started on October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel in solidarity with Gaza. Israel launched a ground invasion of Lebanon on September 30, 2024. A U.S.- and French-brokered ceasefire took effect at 4:00 a.m. local time on November 27, 2024, The New York Times reported. The deal gave both sides 60 days to withdraw.
The truce barely lasted a week before cracks appeared. Between November 28 and December 4, both sides reported dozens of what Israel called "technical violations." Israel struck several sites it said were Hezbollah operatives trying to return to the border, according to Haaretz. The December 5 strike on Lebanese soldiers was the most serious breach yet.
IDF Claims "Suspicious Activity"; Lebanon Calls It Aggression
The Israel Defense Forces said they acted to stop a "looming threat" near Nabatiyeh. IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said reports of LAF casualties were "under review," The Jerusalem Post reported. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned earlier: "If Hezbollah violates the agreement and tries to arm itself, we will attack."
Lebanon's LAF command called the strike a "blatant violation of the cessation of hostilities agreement," according to the National News Agency. Prime Minister Najib Mikati called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting, describing it as "a clear message of Israeli aggression against the state itself, not just a faction," L'Orient-Le Jour reported.
U.S. Invested Billions in Lebanese Army Now Under Fire
The strike puts Washington in a difficult spot. The U.S. has provided over $3 billion in security aid to the LAF since 2006, according to the State Department. The ceasefire deal relied on the LAF deploying 5,000 to 10,000 troops into southern Lebanon to fill the gap left by withdrawing Israeli forces and push Hezbollah north of the Litani River.
The U.S. State Department expressed "deep concern" over the LAF casualties, saying the army is "essential to the long-term stability of the region," CNN reported. U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein, the deal's chief architect, had staked significant political capital on the LAF's ability to hold the south. Analysts warn that if the LAF retreats for safety reasons, the ceasefire collapses entirely.
Civilian Return Routes Blocked as Over 1.2 Million Remain Displaced
The Nabatiyeh-Marjayoun road is not just a military route. It is a main artery for over 1.2 million displaced Lebanese trying to return home, according to UNHCR. Strikes on that corridor freeze civilian movement and deepen a humanitarian crisis that has dragged on for more than a year.
Military analyst Riad Kahwaji said the LAF is caught in an impossible situation. "They are being asked to police a zone where the IDF is still twitchy and Hezbollah is still present underground," he told Sky News Arabia. "This strike undermines the LAF's domestic credibility." Before the ceasefire, the LAF had already lost roughly 45 soldiers in Israeli strikes since October 2023, despite not being a front-line combatant, BBC reported.
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