The ceasefire in Lebanon appears increasingly fragile, with the Israeli military confirming it is conducting operations in Lebanese territory in response to what it claims are “threats” it faces, with Lebanon and ceasefire guarantors the US and France warning Israel against such violations.

The Israeli military (IDF) said today that it attacked military vehicles moving near Hezbollah military infrastructure in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, with the speaker of the Lebanese parliament accusing Israel of a “flagrant violation” of the ceasefire.

Soldiers also attacked military vehicles used to transport weapons near the Syrian-Lebanese border in Hermel, the Israeli army said in a statement, stressing that a Lebanese soldier was wounded in one of the Israeli strikes.

Meanwhile, the IDF stressed that it carried out multiple strikes in Lebanon yesterday, after what Hezbollah said were “actions that posed a threat to the State of Israel and violated the agreements between Israel and Lebanon.”

Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, accused Israel of “flagrantly violating” the ceasefire. In a statement, Berri called on the committee responsible for overseeing the ceasefire, which includes the US and France, “to urgently begin its action and force Israel to stop its violations and withdraw” from Lebanese territory.

Lebanese authorities say at least two people were killed today in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese Health Ministry said one man was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Marjayoun, near the border with Israel.

Earlier, the Lebanese army said that an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) targeted a Lebanese army excavator carrying out fortification works inside the Al-Abara military base near Lebanon’s border with Syria. One soldier was wounded, it said.

Lebanon’s state security also said a drone attack killed a member of its force while on duty in Nabatieh, 12 km from the border. State security called the incident a “flagrant violation” of the ceasefire.

Israel and Hezbollah began implementing a ceasefire last Wednesday, November 27, as part of a 60-day ceasefire agreement proposed by the US to end more than a year of hostilities.

The truce stipulates that Israel will not conduct offensive military operations against civilian, military or other state targets in Lebanon, and Lebanon will prevent any armed groups, including Hezbollah, from conducting operations against Israel.

US and French warnings against Israeli violations

The US and France, guarantors of the agreement, have warned Israel about ceasefire violations. Israeli media reported that US special envoy Amos Hockstein warned Israel that it was violating parts of the ceasefire agreement. Hockstein, according to the reports, told Israel that it must abide by the agreement. Specifically, he cited flights of Israeli drones over Beirut.

Yesterday, France accused Israel of 52 ceasefire violations. Today, in a phone call, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stressed to his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar the “need for all parties to respect the ceasefire in Lebanon.”

Israeli sources speaking to Israeli media claimed that although Israel is acting against Hezbollah’s violations, the IDF did not, as required by the ceasefire agreement, communicate Hezbollah’s violations through the appropriate channels to the international monitoring body headed by the US and France.