Sidon, Jan 6: Israeli airstrikes hit multiple locations across southern and eastern Lebanon late Monday and early Tuesday, including a major strike in the coastal city of Sidon, just days ahead of a crucial Lebanese government meeting on the disarmament of Hezbollah.
According to officials, an Israeli strike around 1 a.m. on Tuesday destroyed a three-storey commercial building in Sidon’s industrial area, which houses workshops and mechanic shops. An Associated Press photographer said the building was unoccupied at the time of the strike. At least one person was taken away by ambulance, while rescue teams searched the debris for possible victims. No deaths were immediately reported.
On Monday, the Israeli military also targeted several sites in southern and eastern Lebanon, claiming they were linked to infrastructure used by Hezbollah and Hamas. These strikes followed warnings issued on X by Israeli army Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee, who said the military would hit specific locations in the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon. However, the strike in Sidon came without prior warning, and Israel did not immediately comment on it.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that one of the homes struck in the Bekaa Valley village of Manara belonged to Sharhabil al-Sayed, a Hamas military commander killed in an Israeli drone strike in May 2024. Authorities said the targeted areas were evacuated after warnings were issued, and no casualties were reported in those attacks.
Earlier on Monday, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said two people were wounded when a drone strike hit a car in the southern village of Braikeh. The Israeli military stated that the strike targeted two Hezbollah members.
The latest strikes come as Lebanon prepares for a key discussion on Hezbollah’s disarmament. The Lebanese army has already begun disarming Palestinian factions, and the government has said that by the end of 2025, areas south of the Litani River will be cleared of Hezbollah’s armed presence. Army commander Gen. Rudolph Haikal is scheduled to brief the government on the process during a meeting later this week.
The renewed violence follows a 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah that ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in November 2024. Since then, Israel has continued near-daily airstrikes in Lebanon, primarily targeting Hezbollah, but also causing civilian casualties. According to the UN human rights office, at least 127 civilians have been killed in post-ceasefire strikes.