Hezbollah’s continued rocket and drone launches  render the ceasefire mostly fictional.

By Hezy Laing

President Donald Trump recently announced a three‑week extension of the Lebanon ceasefire. But is there a ceasefire to renew?

Hezbollah’s Secretary‑General Hassan Nasrallah has repeatedly stated that the group does not recognize any ceasefire, while Israeli officials note that Hezbollah’s continued rocket and drone launches  render the ceasefire mostly fictional.

Since April 16^th when the ceasefire went into effect there have been near‑daily exchanges of fire.

The northern front has remained unstable despite the truce, with Israeli communities near the Lebanon border still facing alerts, drone threats and the possibility of renewed escalation.

Hezbollah violations include:

• Rocket launches toward Israeli communities such as Metula, Kiryat Shmona, and the Galilee panhandle.
• Anti‑tank guided missile (ATGM) fire from areas including Aita al‑Shaab, Marwahin, and Houla.
• Explosive drone launches targeting IDF positions along the border, including near Manara and Misgav Am.
• Mortar fire into open areas and IDF outposts.
• Continued deployment of armed operatives south of the Litani River, which UNIFIL classifies as a violation of UNSCR 1701.

In response the IDF has launched:

• Airstrikes on suspected Hezbollah infrastructure in villages such as Bint Jbeil, Khiam, and Nabatieh.
• Artillery fire into southern Lebanon following rocket or drone launches.
• Targeted strikes on Hezbollah commanders and rocket launch squads, including reported hits near Tyre and Kfar Kila.
• Overflights by Israeli aircraft, which Lebanon routinely reports as violations of its airspace.

UNIFIL has stated publicly that the situation “resembles active conflict more than a ceasefire.”

The security situation has even begun affecting civilian events in the north, including the government’s decision to cancel the main Lag BaOmer gathering at Mount Meron over fears of Hezbollah rocket fire and the difficulty of evacuating large crowds in an emergency.

Following the latest incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security meeting Monday morning over Hezbollah violations of the ceasefire.

Sirens sounded in the Western Galilee after a suspected Hezbollah drone crossed from Lebanon.

The IDF said it lost contact with the “suspicious aerial target,” an indication that it likely crashed.

The incident added to growing Israeli concern that the ceasefire with Hezbollah is becoming less a ceasefire and more a strongly worded suggestion, which is apparently how these things go when terrorists are involved.

After the consultation, the IDF launched a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in the Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon following repeated ceasefire violations.

While Beirut remains outside the target zone for now, the escalation marks a significant turning point in the fragile truce.