IDF postpones strike on Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, after Lebanese army requests time to address situation

As the year-end deadline for disarming the Hezbollah Shia terror organization approaches, the IDF has increased strikes on terror infrastructure by the group, as well as attempts to rehabilitate the groups infrastructure in southern Lebanon, in contradiction to the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel. 

Israel has been increasing pressure on the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah ahead of the deadline, while also notifying the United States that it intends to take greater action against the terror group if the deadline is not met. 

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji told Al Jazeera on Friday that Israel, frustrated with the lack of progress in disarming the Shia terror organization, is planning a large-scale military operation against Hezbollah, similar to the one last year. 

“We have received warnings from Arab and international sources that Israel is planning a large-scale military operation in Lebanon,” Rajji said in the interview. 

He noted that the Lebanese government is engaged in intense diplomatic action to "prevent the expected Israeli attack,” but also accused Hezbollah’s sponsor, Iran, of destabilizing the country. 

“The role Iran plays in Lebanon specifically, and in the region more broadly, is extremely harmful,” Rajji told the Qatari news outlet. 

The foreign minister said, “Hezbollah's weapons have proven ineffective in supporting Gaza and defending Lebanon,” noting that the organization’s actions have only “brought about the Israeli occupation” of parts of southern Lebanon. 

Also on Friday, the IDF carried out a series of strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah sites, including a “training compound.” 

On Saturday, the IDF was planning to strike a Hezbollah weapons depot in the southern Lebanese town of Yannuḥ and informed the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) of its location. After the LAF withdrew from the area, the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for the building, intending to strike. 

“The IDF will attack military infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah terror organization in response to its prohibited attempts to rebuild its activities in the area,” IDF Arabic Spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee said on Saturday. 

#عاجل ‼️ إنذار عاجل إلى سكان جنوب لبنان وتحديدًا في قرية يانوح
🔸سيهاجم جيش الدفاع على المدى الزمني القريب بنى تحتية عسكرية تابعة لحزب الله الإرهابي وذلك للتعامل مع المحاولات المحظورة التي يقوم بها حزب الله لإعادة إعمار أنشطته في المنطقة
🔸نحث سكان المبنى المحدد بالأحمر في… pic.twitter.com/1MHfzpwM6J

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) December 13, 2025

“You are located near buildings used by Hezbollah, and for your own safety you must evacuate them immediately and move at least 300 meters (about 984 feet) away,” he warned. 

However, according to reports, the LAF then asked the IDF for time to dismantle the weapons site themselves, after which the IDF delayed its strike. 

Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Akhbar News reported that the LAF and UNIFIL troops did not discover any weapons on site. 

Israel has also complained to the United States in recent weeks about apparent signs of coordination and cooperation between Hezbollah and Lebanese forces. 

Also on Saturday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem stated that the group refused to disarm, saying it would not do so despite worldwide pressure.

“Even if the sky falls, we will not be disarmed, not even if the entire world unites against Lebanon,” Qassem declared in a video statement. “We will not allow this and it will not happen.” 

Qassem also sarcastically suggested that Hezbollah should be demanding the Lebanese army to disarm, saying it failed to halt “Israel’s ongoing aggression.”  

On Sunday morning, the IDF struck three Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon, which it said were “engaged in attempts to rehabilitate Hezbollah terrorist organization infrastructure, and their actions constituted a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”