IDF Halts Planned Strike on Hezbollah After Lebanese Army Intervenes

In an unprecedented move, the IDF called off a planned strike on a Hezbollah target in southern Lebanon after the Lebanese army moved to address the threat, Israeli officials said over the weekend.

On Saturday afternoon, the IDF issued a standard evacuation warning ahead of a planned airstrike on a Hezbollah site located within a residential area in the village of Yanouh. Such warnings are typically followed by an Israeli strike within hours, after civilians are given time to leave the area.

However, roughly three hours later, the IDF issued a second statement announcing that the Lebanese Armed Forces had requested time to intervene. According to the military, Lebanese troops subsequently deployed to the area in an attempt to deal with the Hezbollah presence, prompting Israel to suspend the strike.

The IDF said it is continuing to monitor developments in Yanouh to assess whether the Lebanese army fully neutralizes the threat. Israeli officials have long argued that responsibility for enforcing the security arrangements in southern Lebanon rests with Beirut.

Senior Israeli defense sources said earlier this year that the Lebanese army had shown improved performance in dismantling remaining Hezbollah positions and weapons caches south of the Litani River. In recent months, however, Israeli assessments indicated a reversal of that trend, leading to a series of Israeli strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure.

Israeli officials said the decision to delay the strike reflected a desire to test whether Lebanese forces are willing and able to act decisively against Hezbollah, potentially reducing the need for broader Israeli military action.

The episode comes amid heightened Israeli operations along the northern border. The IDF confirmed that it carried out airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Friday, targeting Hezbollah training facilities linked to the Radwan Force. According to the military, the sites were used for weapons training and operational preparation for attacks against Israeli forces and civilians.

Earlier in the week, Israeli aircraft also struck additional Hezbollah training camps, military structures, and a missile launch site, which the IDF said constituted violations of the security understandings between Israel and Lebanon.

Israeli officials warned that patience is wearing thin, and that continued failure by the Lebanese army to curb Hezbollah activity could lead to more extensive Israeli military action in Lebanon.