Lebanon Bans Hezbollah Ops as Israel Retaliates for Rocket Attack

Israel’s forces killed a top Hezbollah intelligence officer in an overnight strike, sparking a wave of air raids across Lebanon. The IDF said the target was responsible for gathering and sharing data on Israeli troops, aiding plans for attacks. In response to Hezbollah’s rocket and drone barrage—claimed as retaliation for a recent U. S. -Israel strike on Iran—Israeli jets struck roughly seventy Hezbollah sites, including weapon caches and launch pads. The IDF also hit a financial arm used by the group to funnel money from Iran and buy arms, labeling it a threat to Israeli security. The Lebanese government reacted by declaring that all Hezbollah military activities from its territory were illegal. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam ordered the state to seize weapons and halt any missile or drone launches, asserting that decisions on war and peace rest solely with Lebanon. Hezbollah officials denounced the move as a “swaggering decision, ” while the group vowed to act against Israel and the U. S. after Tehran’s counter‑attack.Israeli officials warned that Hezbollah’s leadership would face severe consequences, with statements likening future targets to Iran’s supreme leader. The IDF chief of staff reaffirmed that the campaign would continue until Hezbollah was disarmed, emphasizing a focus on Iran and cooperation with U. S. forces. A senior spokesperson said all options were available, hinting at possible ground operations. Meanwhile, Lebanese authorities opened displacement shelters in schools across the country as civilians fled Israeli strikes that had already claimed at least thirty-one lives. The conflict also extended to Cyprus, where a British airbase suffered drone damage attributed to the same Lebanese group.