JERUSALEM 

The Israeli army launched airstrikes early Friday on sites along the Syria-Lebanon border, claiming that Hezbollah was using them to transfer weapons into Lebanon.

In a statement, the Israeli army said: “Our fighter jets struck transport routes along the Syrian-Lebanese border, which Hezbollah has been using in an attempt to smuggle weaponry into Lebanon.”

The army added that “such actions by Hezbollah violate the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”

The latest escalation comes after a fragile ceasefire took place in Lebanon on Nov. 27, 2024, ending months of mutual shelling between Israel and the Hezbollah group that escalated into a full-scale conflict in September.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has committed nearly 1,000 violations, killing and injuring dozens in Lebanon, including women and children.

Late Thursday, the Israeli daily Israel Hayom reported that the Israeli army also carried out airstrikes on the Syrian city of Homs.

Following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on Dec. 8, 2024 in Syria, Israel has conducted dozens of airstrikes targeting Syrian military positions.

It has also expanded its occupation of the Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone and Mount Hermon, violating the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria.

Israel’s recent military expansion in the Golan Heights, which it has occupied since 1967, has drawn condemnation from the UN and several Arab nations.