As part of the training and preparation at the camp, the terrorists underwent shooting drills and additional training in the use of various types of combat equipment, for the purpose of planning and executing terror operations against IDF forces and Israeli citizens.

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Sources in Lebanon have written off the Egyptian initiative, which was based on the complete disarmament of Hezbollah in the area south of the Litani River and a commitment not to use weapons in areas north of it against Israel.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese News Agency reported that an Israeli force blew up a residential building on the outskirts of the village of Meis al-Jabal in southern Lebanon.

In addition, European diplomatic officials in Beirut were reported to have quoted American envoy Morgan Ortagus as saying that Israel intends to carry out "large and harsh strikes" against Hezbollah, particularly in Dahieh and the eastern Bekaa region, if the terror organization does not hand over precision missiles and drones by the beginning of the new civil year.

It was also noted that US Ambassador to Beirut Michel Issa conveyed a message that the diplomatic track is separate from the war track against Hezbollah. Issa met with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and later explained, "Israel separates between negotiations with the Lebanese government and its war with Hezbollah. What is happening is an attempt to reach a solution."

Against this backdrop, all parties were reported to be waiting for the end of the current month – the final deadline of the Lebanese army's plan to collect Hezbollah weapons in the area south of the Litani River and move north. Hezbollah has emphasized that the ceasefire agreement applies only to the area south of the Litani, while Israel and the US are waiting for steps by the army.

At the same time, informed sources told Al-Akhbar that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reference to economic cooperation with Lebanon was not made in a vacuum. According to the sources, the Israeli side raised the matter in meetings of the oversight committee.

The sources noted that when the issue of economic cooperation was raised, according to the American vision for rehabilitating the border region, Lebanese representative Simon Karam made clear that "Lebanon first wants the occupation to end, the attacks to stop, residents of the area to return to their homes and villages, and no interference with the rehabilitation process. Lebanon sees this as a mandatory condition for any discussion about the future of this region."

The sources added that Lebanon has previously heard such ideas from American envoy Tom Barrack, including a proposal for an infrastructure project in the border area. For example, it was reported that "security stability will enable a process of building an economic cooperation zone" in which Gulf investors would operate. According to the sources, Tom Barrack estimated that "disarmament [of Hezbollah] is a difficult thing, and it is not possible to convince people to give up weapons without offering an alternative."

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The statement released by the Prime Minister's office after the meeting said that under Netanyahu's direction and as part of the ongoing security dialogue among the US, Israel and Lebanon, Resnick met Ortagus and Lebanese civilian representatives in Naqoura. According to the statement, the meeting was held in a "positive atmosphere" and the sides agreed to formulate "ideas for potential economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon". Israel clarified that "disarming Hezbollah is a fundamental requirement that stands independently of any progress on economic issues. The sides agreed to hold follow-up discussions."

Earlier statements described the meeting as a first attempt to establish the basis for economic cooperation and a future relationship between Israel and Lebanon. Beyond the immediate discussions on monitoring the ceasefire, this was presented as the early groundwork for eventual normalization, even if actual political agreements remain distant. The process, Israeli officials say, has now begun.

These contacts mark a significant shift. During the maritime border negotiations in previous years, Lebanon, under pressure from Hezbollah, refused to send civilian officials, and the talks were conducted indirectly through the US and France and handled by military officers. Even then, Beirut participated only after Israel agreed to relinquish nearly all of the disputed maritime area. The current civilian-level dialogue is a strong indication of the decline in Hezbollah's influence over Lebanese government policy.

For Israel, this represents a policy adjustment coordinated with and encouraged by Washington. Two tracks are now separated: the campaign against Hezbollah and efforts to dismantle its arsenal, and the political process with Lebanon. Israel will continue to strike Hezbollah targets as the organization works to rebuild and rearm, while Lebanon's government continues pursuing its stated commitment to disarm the terrorist organization. Separately, Israel and Lebanon will engage in civilian talks. The US administration has given Israel a green light to continue its military actions against Hezbollah, while at the same time pressing Jerusalem to support steps that bring the Lebanese government and President Joseph Aoun closer to Washington and promote confidence building measures.

The content of the civilian talks is not yet clear. One of the primary expected avenues is cooperation related to natural gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean, including securing offshore gas fields and the shipping lanes used by oil tankers. Agricultural cooperation may also be explored, along with mechanisms to oversee the return of residents of southern Lebanon to their homes. Many of these residents are Christians, whose return Israel views as a moderating factor compared with Shiite communities, many of whom have been Hezbollah members or supporters.

According to an Israeli political official, the dialogue is expected to lay the foundation for broad negotiations between Israel and Lebanon on all outstanding issues, including formalizing the land border and resolving disputes created largely by Hezbollah. Still, the official added that as long as Hezbollah remains active, progress on matters such as an IDF withdrawal from positions inside Lebanon or halting Israeli strikes against Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure will remain extremely difficult.

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"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the Acting Director of the National Security Council to send a representative on his behalf to a meeting with government-economic elements in Lebanon," Netanyahu's office said on X. "This is an initial attempt to establish a basis for a relationship and economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon."

The representative will be Dr. Uri Resnick, signaling the start of civilian negotiations with Lebanon that include civilian – not only military – representatives on both sides, unlike in the past. Earlier on Wednesday, the Lebanese Presidential Office announced the appointment of former Ambassador Simon Karam, an attorney, as the head of the Lebanese delegation to the meetings of "the mechanism" (supervision committee that governs the implementation of the 2024 ceasefire). That representative will participate in a committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday in Naqoura, on the border. This is the first time a Lebanese civilian representative has been added to the committee.

"Israel must give the government of Lebanon an opportunity" Former President Biden's envoy, Amos Hochstein, addressed the situation in Lebanon at the Israel Hayom summit in New York on Tuesday. He said the ceasefire achieved about a year ago between Israel and Hezbollah was not a result of the organization's goodwill, but instead "a demonstration of military weakness." He revealed that parallel to the ceasefire, efforts began to establish a new presidency in Lebanon – which he views as the most pro-Western in years – to create a stable foundation for a long-term process of disarming Hezbollah.

A year later, Hochstein stated, the picture is much murkier. The government of Lebanon has failed to fulfill its part, and the organization has not been weakened enough to allow for genuine progress. "Hezbollah must disarm, and the government of Lebanon must fulfill what it committed to," he said. However, he emphasized that Israel must allow the Lebanese government a genuine opportunity to act before considering a military solution: "Returning to war will not achieve this – unless Israel plans a full occupation, which nobody wants."

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Not only has no one in the world claimed that Israel violated the agreement, but Hezbollah is also afraid to return fire. Iran's flailing puppet is imprisoned in two ways – diplomatically and militarily.

Ron Dermer, who shaped the terms of the agreement on Israel's behalf, explained immediately after it was signed that this would be the outcome. In closed conversations, Dermer detailed the rules and mechanisms that were established. It was clear that Israel maintained a large scope of action to deal with any danger it identified, and this is what happened over the past year.

Dermer was also right when he argued that the IDF's operation in Lebanon at the time had exhausted its objectives. Consequently, Israel was faced with the choice between agreeing to the deal offered by the American envoy Hochstein or undertaking a full occupation of Lebanon. Occupation was and remains the only military way to eliminate Hezbollah, but today this option is not truly relevant, as Israel will not take on the management of Lebanon.

The decision to close the Lebanon front was correct for its time. The problems have not ended in the current round either, as Hezbollah is working energetically to rearm. The Israeli Air Force is working hard in Lebanon, but cannot keep pace. As was learned the hard way in Gaza, from the air, one can delay enemies, but not eliminate them. Complete elimination is only possible with a full ground occupation – something the Israeli public is currently not interested in.

According to well-informed diplomatic officials, the Trump administration set December 31 this year as the final date for the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah. Should Lebanon fail to comply, the responsibility for the violation will rest with it. One of the fundamental lessons of October 7 is not to allow the enemy to build up power across the border. The current situation indicates that there will soon be no choice but to implement this lesson.

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"The strike on Hezbollah's chief of staff was not pre-coordinated," the official told Israel Hayom, adding that in the US "we were updated only right after it happened. As I understand it, this was a target of opportunity for the Israelis and they took advantage of the chance to hit him."

The official also said, "It is clear that Hezbollah is a designated terrorist organization by the US, with a great deal of American blood on its hands, so no one is mourning the loss."

He continued, "We are working in close cooperation with the Lebanese to make sure this remains contained and to try to prevent Hezbollah from responding. I do not think eliminating the head of the terrorist organization's military wing undermines the effort to demilitarize Lebanon."

According to the IDF, the Israeli Air Force eliminated Hezbollah's number two and de facto chief of staff on Sunday afternoon in a safe house in Beirut. This was the first Israeli strike in the Dahiyeh since June and the operation was given the name "Black Friday". About four hours after the attack, the IDF confirmed that Tabataba'i had been killed and released footage of the strike. An hour later, Hezbollah also confirmed his death.

Earlier reports said that an Israeli official had confirmed the strike was coordinated with the Americans. Later, a political source clarified that Israel had updated the Americans only afterward, though "Washington knew we were planning to intensify our strikes against Hezbollah."

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"A short while ago, the IDF conducted a precise strike targeting a key Hezbollah terrorist in Beirut," the IDF said on X. The target was the No. 2 person in the Shiite terrorist organization, Haytham 'Ali Tabataba'i, who was also the de facto military chief of the group. 

Haytham 'Ali Tabataba'i was designated an international terrorist with a special designation as early as 2016. The US government's website stated, "Tabataba'i's actions in Syria and Yemen are part of a larger Hizballah effort to provide training, materiel, and personnel in support of its destabilizing regional activities."

Video: The attack in Beirut on November 23, 2025

The strike targeted an area widely regarded as a stronghold of Hezbollah, marking one of the most serious incident of the truce since it was established. Israeli officials said they were bracing for a possible reprisal by the Iranian proxy.

"A short while ago, in the heart of Beirut, the IDF attacked the Hezbollah Chief-of-Staff, who had been leading the terrorist organization's buildup and rearmament," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement shortly after the attack. "Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered the strike on the recommendation of the minister of defense and the chief of staff. Israel is determined to act to achieve its objectives everywhere and at all times."

The November 2024 ceasefire, brokered by the United States and France, was intended to halt fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and initiate a process of de-escalation along the border. However, the agreement has been precarious almost since its inception.

Significant move by #Israel: what looks like a targeted killing against #Hezbollah in Dahiyeh, the southern suburb of Beirut--the first such strike since the ceasefire.https://t.co/nkjztCLyyM pic.twitter.com/v1vQWkBq5a

— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) November 23, 2025

A core component of the arrangement required the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to assert its authority in the south and, crucially, to disarm non-state actors like Hezbollah and enforce the withdrawal of its fighters and heavy weapons from the border region, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Jerusalem has repeatedly accused the Lebanese government and the LAF of failing to carry out this duty effectively.

This failure to enforce the disarmament clause has been the primary source of mounting frustration in Israel, which has maintained that it cannot tolerate the presence of a heavily armed hostile terrorist group on its northern border.

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According to the reports, Israeli Air Force strikes focused on several different areas – the vicinity of the town of Janta in the Bekaa area in the eastern part of the country, the village of al-Mahmoudiyeh in Nabatieh district in the southern part of the country, and the city of al-Hermel in the northeast of the country. Apparently, these are various military sites belonging to Hezbollah. Later, another Israeli strike was reported in the Nabatieh district in the al-Jarmak area.

Video: The Israeli Air Force's strikes in Lebanon. Credit: Arab media

An IDF spokesperson said the Israeli Air Force struck terror infrastructure in the Bekaa area in eastern Lebanon and in the southern part of the country. The IDF spokesperson added that in southern Lebanon, a Hezbollah site used for launching rockets was struck, and combat equipment aimed at Israel was attacked.

Additionally, in Nabatieh, several infrastructure targets were hit, and in the Bekaa area, a site for manufacturing and storing strategic combat equipment was attacked.

Earlier today, Lebanese sources reported the elimination of a Hezbollah commander named Samir Ali Faqih from the village of Sarifa. According to the reports, he was killed in an IDF drone strike in the al-Bisariyah area in southern Lebanon. It should be noted that in recent weeks, dozens of Hezbollah terrorists have been eliminated, some from the Radwan Force. Most were engaged in attempts to dismantle and rehabilitate terrorist infrastructure.

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On the surface, the strikes continued a recent run of attacks intended to "cut the grass" on Hezbollah's activity, but this operation differed materially: the IDF ordered evacuations of parts of southern Lebanese towns in order to destroy weapons and materiel Hezbollah is attempting to stockpile, while trying to avoid harm to uninvolved civilians.

Around 3 p.m. local time, the IDF spokesperson in Arabic, Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, issued evacuation orders for residents of specific buildings in the villages of al-Taybeh and Tir Daba, and later announced the strikes had begun.

As the day went on the IDF announced further evacuations from particular buildings in the village of Zotar al-Sharqiya and in the village of Dunin. In addition to evacuating civilians for their protection, the IDF said it took other measures to avoid civilian harm, including the use of precision munitions, aerial observation and additional intelligence.

According to the IDF spokesperson, the targets were terrorist infrastructure and several weapons caches belonging to the "Quwwat Radwan" unit in southern Lebanon. The statement said the terrorist organization Hezbollah continues attempts to rebuild terror infrastructure in southern Lebanon and is focused on restoring the unit's capabilities in order to strike the State of Israel.

The warehouses struck were located in the heart of civilian areas and, the IDF said, provide yet another example of the terrorist organization Hezbollah's cynical use of Lebanese civilians as human shields by operating out of civilian property.

Israel's security establishment has understood in recent days that while Hezbollah remains severely weakened, it is still trying to regain strength and reconstruct its forces ahead of the next confrontation with Israel.

In recent months Israel and the US have given Lebanon, through the Lebanese army, a chance to do the work of disarming Hezbollah. The rhetoric from Beirut was promising and positive on this front, but on the ground, according to intelligence, not enough was done and Hezbollah continued its efforts.

Israeli officials say they will not accept that situation, and senior figures repeatedly stress that the principal lesson of October 7 is to prevent terrorist organizations from rebuilding along Israel's borders.

In recent days there have been statements suggesting Hezbollah plans to respond to Israeli actions. A military source we spoke with said yesterday that a Hezbollah reaction would actually be beneficial to Israel because it would give Israel greater legitimacy to strike additional Hezbollah targets.

But even if Hezbollah does not respond, it is not inconceivable that Israel will decide to launch a proactive, short operation of several days  against Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, and stop the terrorist organization from regaining its strength. Either way, Israeli officials doubt such an operation would take place in the coming month unless Hezbollah errs and decides to act against Israel.

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On Thursday morning, Israel struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. The Al-Hadath channel reported that the strikes focused on Hezbollah centers in the al-Abasiya area in the Tyre district. Al-Mayadeen reported multiple casualties in the attack. According to Lebanese reports, the strikes hit the villages of Toura and al-Abasiya. Medical teams were dispatched to evacuate the wounded.

Letter addressed to Lebanon's leadership

Hezbollah directed its "open letter" to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. "We are expressing our vision regarding the situation and the national position required to preserve Lebanon's interests," the letter began.

Hezbollah accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement numerous times since it was signed. "We affirm our legitimate right to resist and its aggression, and to stand alongside our army and our people to defend our country's sovereignty," the organization wrote. "This legitimate defense is not a decision for peace or war, but rather the exercise of our right to defend against an enemy that is imposing war on our country and not stopping its attacks, but rather wants to subjugate our state."

Lebanese sources told Al-Hadath in response to Hezbollah's letter: "Lebanon's president is exercising his powers according to the constitution. The Lebanese majority is what decides in every case. The state is the decision-maker, and no one can challenge that."

The IDF announced that it struck terrorists operating in a terror infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah's construction unit in the Tyre area. According to the military, the infrastructure was used to produce equipment that Hezbollah operatives used to reconstruct terror installations that were attacked and destroyed during the war. "The activity of Hezbollah terror operatives in the infrastructure constituted a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon," the IDF stated. "The IDF will continue to act to remove any threat to the territory of the State of Israel."

In a separate incident three days ago, a Hezbollah commander was eliminated in Lebanon, one day after surviving an assassination attempt.

Lebanese demands and diplomatic pressure

This week, as previously reported in Israel Hayom, American sources told Lebanese President Aoun to dismantle Hezbollah and avoid confrontation with Israel. The Al-Akhbar newspaper, which is close to Hezbollah, claimed that messages to this effect were conveyed to Aoun in recent days.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who also leads the Amal movement, recently met with Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad. During the meeting, Berri complained about Israeli strikes and demanded they "stop for at least two months." Berri also asked Rashad whether there was a mechanism that could convince Israel to agree to this. According to the report, Israeli officials emphasized in contacts with mediators that they would not provide guarantees and that Lebanon must accept negotiations "under fire."

In recent weeks, tensions between the sides have increased against the backdrop of growing reconstruction efforts by the Iranian-backed Shia terror organization.

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