Israel Army ‘Temporarily Suspends’ Strike on South Lebanon

The Israeli military said on Saturday it had “temporarily” suspended a planned strike targeting what it described as Hezbollah military infrastructure in southern Lebanon, following an intervention by the Lebanese army.

The move came despite an earlier warning from the Israeli military announcing an imminent attack and urging residents in the Yanuh area of south Lebanon to evacuate immediately.

A ceasefire brokered in November 2024 sought to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which escalated after the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. Since the truce, Israel has continued to carry out strikes in Lebanon, typically saying it is targeting Hezbollah fighters and facilities to prevent the group from rearming.

Later on Saturday, the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, said the strike had been “temporarily suspended,” adding that the military was “continuing to monitor the target.”

According to Adraee, the suspension followed a request from the Lebanese army to access the site again “to address the breach of the agreement.” He added that Israel would “not allow” Hezbollah to “redeploy or rearm.”

The ceasefire monitoring mechanism involves the United Nations, the United States and France.

A Lebanese security source said the army had earlier attempted to search the building Israel intended to target but was unable to do so because of objections from local residents. However, when the army returned a second time, it was able to enter and search the building after residents evacuated, fearing an imminent Israeli strike.