Israel, Hezbollah trade ceasefire violation accusations as IDF tries to block civilians' return

While the IDF is broadly speaking avoiding any attacks on Hezbollah beyond southern Lebanon and the terror group is not launching any attacks into Israel itself, both sides continue lower grade skirmishes within southern Lebanon.

On Thursday morning, Hezbollah fired an anti-tank missile at IDF troops in southern Lebanon.

According to the military, the anti-tank missile struck near IDF soldiers, but did not cause any injuries.

Separately, the IDF accused Hezbollah of launching a separate aerial threat, likely a drone, toward Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, which it managed to shoot down.

In yet another update, the military stated that it had killed a Hezbollah operative who had been operating a rocket launcher on Wednesday, saying the fighter had been a potential threat to northern Israel.

This has not been the only instance when the IDF has killed Hezbollah soldiers or attacked rocket launchers, including some North of the Litani, categorizing them as potential future threats - even though Hezbollah has not fired any rockets into Israel since the April 17 ceasefire.

In fact, late Thursday night, the IDF updated that it has killed 25 Hezbollah fighters since the ceasefire last week, as well as undertaken 50 attacks on Hezbollah infrastructure, almost all in southern Lebanon.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has said Beirut would seek a ceasefire extension and a halt to demolitions being carried out by Israel in villages in the south.

Hezbollah calls such actions a violation of the ceasefire, but the IDF has said that the ceasefire only applies North of the Litani River and that the military can continue to destroy Hezbollah terror infrastructure anywhere in southern Lebanon, which it currently controls until a broader deal might be signed.

In the wider context, Hezbollah hopes to make the cost of the IDf staying in southern Lebanon prohibitive, while Israel hopes to keep the IDF there for an extended stay to try to pressure Hezbollah into a process of disarming.

Also, on Thursday the IDF announced that it had uncovered a 25 meter Hezbollah tunnel concealed within a store in the southern Lebanese village of El Hiam.

The IDF said that the tunnel was full of weapons for a potential future invasion of northern Israel, but that now it would destroy these weapons.

On an overlapping front, the IDF continued to jockey with Lebanese civilians about trying to prevent them from returning to southern Lebanon until a broader deal is reached regarding Hezbollah disarming.

The IDF has sent several warnings to Lebanese civilians since the April 17 ceasefire, telling them not to return to southern Lebanon, and issued yet another such warning on Thursday.

“We reiterate and say that during the ceasefire agreement, the IDF continues to remain deployed in its positions in southern Lebanon confronting the continuing terror activities" of Hezbollah, IDF Arabic Spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee posted on X.

“We again warn that, to preserve your safety and for the safety of your family, until further notice, you cannot move south of the line of the following villages and their surrounding areas,” he added, attaching a map of the IDF’s new southern Lebanon security zone.

Foreign media reports and social media have continued to show videos and interviews of Lebanese civilians using a variety of makeshift means to cross the Litani River into southern Lebanon even at points where the IDF had destroyed the existing bridges.

Some said that they succeeded at reaching their villages and found significant amounts of damage.

Others said that though they were able to get into southern Lebanon, the IDF blocked the road to their village or used warning fire to turn them back.

At this initial stage, Hezbollah has also, at least in public, told Lebanese civilians not to return to their homes yet due to the possibility of a return to hostilities, including their ongoing use of improvised explosive devices against IDF soldiers in the area.

It is unclear if they are maintaining that position in private, especially since after the November 2024 ceasefire, Hezbollah encouraged Lebanese civilians to return to their villages against IDF instructions.

This was both to return life to normal in southern Lebanon as quickly as possible as well as to provide cover for Hezbollah fighters to return among the masses, with both of these reasons potentially applying now as well.

Then on Monday, the IDF put out a new more specific warning naming around 20 villages along the defense line which should not be approached, and naming an additional approximately 50 villages throughout southern Lebanon which should not be approached.

This latest effort seemed directed at deterring Lebanese civilians who may have remained in or penetrated into southern Lebanon from coming near areas where the IDF is establishing new positions and clearing Hezbollah weapons.

Thursday's message was nearly identical, showing that, to date, many Lebanese civilians continue to ignore the IDF's warnings.

Meanwhile, the IDF also updated on Thursday and other days this week several instances where Hamas fighters either approached IDF positions near the current Gaza yellow line border between Israeli-controlled and Hamas-controlled portions of the Strip or were undertaking other activities deeper in Gaza, which the IDF viewed as presenting a near imminent threat.

In a number of these instances, including Thursday, the IDF killed the Hamas fighters in question.

Some say the 100 days have already recently expired, while others say the initial deadline will expire in early May.

At the same time, the US has paid less attention to Gaza-related issues due to being preoccupied since February with Iran, and the current crisis surrounding the blocked Straits of Hormuz.