Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (June 4–9, 2025)

Overview

• IDF forces continued counteracting Hezbollah’s presence in south Lebanon in violation of the ceasefire agreement and against the organization’s renewed efforts to rebuild it military capabilities. Structures in the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia in Beirut used by Hezbollah’s aerial unit to produce thousands of UAVs were attacked.
• Hezbollah denied Israel’s accusations and called on the Lebanese government to increase diplomatic pressure against “the violations and aggression.” Senior figures in the Lebanese government also condemned the attacks and accused Israel of “violating” the country’s sovereignty and the ceasefire agreement.
• The prime minister of Lebanon stated that the Lebanese army had dismantled more than 500 “military sites” south of the Litani River. The Lebanese army threatened to stop cooperating with the ceasefire monitoring committee because of continued Israeli attacks, but conducted searches in the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia in coordination with the committee out of fear of another attack.
• The UN secretary general appointed a new UNIFIL commander. Lebanon will request the renewal of the UNIFIL mandate although Israel and the United States reportedly want to end it.
• Hezbollah praised its parliamentary faction’s meeting with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and claimed willingness to reach understandings. However, the organization emphasized that all disputed issues with Israel had to be resolved before there could be any discussion of its disarming.
• According to reports, a Palestinian delegation met with Lebanese army officers and stated a commitment to disarming in the Palestinian refugee camps, but admitted that they had rushed to set the timetable before agreeing on an organized mechanism for collecting the weapons.

The Ceasefire

The IDF in Lebanon

• The IDF continued to operate against Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon which violated the ceasefire agreement of November 27, 2024; the agreement prohibits the organization’s presence south of the Litani River. The IDF also operated against Hezbollah facilities and its efforts to restore its military capabilities. On June 5, 2025, the IDF attacked sites in the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia in Beirut used for producing and storing UAVs used by Hezbollah’s aerial unit (Unit 127). The unit has produced thousands of UAVs under Iranian tutelage and with Iranian funding as part of Tehran’s efforts to destroy the State of Israel. A workshop for manufacturing drones used for attacks, gathering intelligence and improving Hezbollah’s observation capabilities was attacked in the village of Ain Qana in south Lebanon (IDF spokesperson, June 5–6, 2025).
• Lebanese media reported that nine buildings were destroyed by the attacks in the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia, and that and dozens of additional buildings and vehicles were damaged (al-Nashra, June 6, 2025). Lebanese media also reported that an Israeli aircraft attacked a motorcycle in the village of Dounin in south Lebanon, killing one person and injuring another (Lebanese National News Agency, June 8, 2025).

     
Right: Map of the targets in Beirut (IDF Arabic Spokesperson’s X account, June 5, 2025).
eft: One of the attacks in the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia (Lebanon on News X account, June 5, 2025)

Hezbollah

• A “senior Hezbollah figure” condemned the attack in the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia and accused the “extremist” Israeli government of continuing its war on Lebanon and carrying out “aggression” with American backing. He added that the Lebanese state had to take steps to confront the “aggression” and that the international community and Arab states had to take a clear position to stop the escalation (Al Jazeera, June 5, 2025).
• Ali Ammer, a member of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament, condemned Israel’s “aggression” and added that the attack “clearly violated” the ceasefire agreement. He accused the ceasefire monitoring committee of not fulfilling its duty and condemned the United States for “not only funding the Israeli killing machine, but also directing and justifying it.” He called for broad diplomatic action and demanded that the Lebanese government file a complaint with the UN Security Council and summon ambassadors of various countries to curb the Israeli “aggression” (al-Nashra, June 6, 2025).
• The Hezbollah daily newspaper al-Akhbar claimed that the targeted sites were not used for military purposes. The paper claimed that in the past the IDF had frequently attacked civilian buildings under the pretense of military targets, and that was also the current situation (al-Akhbar, June 6, 2025).
• Hassan Fadlallah, a member of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament, spoke with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to discuss the recent Israeli attacks and damages they caused. Fadlallah noted the importance of swift action by the High Relief Committee to identify the damaged buildings. He said Salam had instructed the head of the committee to conduct a damage survey, and they had agreed it would be carried out immediately after Eid al-Adha^[1] (al-Nashra, June 7, 2025).
• In Eid al-Adha sermons, deputy head of the Supreme Shi’a Council, Sheikh Ali al-Khatib, claimed that “it is clear to everyone that the enemy is committed to nothing” and that everything happening was done with the approval of the head of the ceasefire monitoring committee. He stated that they supported President Aoun’s position on implementing “practical escalation measures” to deter the “ongoing Zionist aggression” (al-’Ahed, June 7, 2025).

The Lebanese leadership

• Senior Lebanese leaders condemned the Israeli attacks in the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia:
  • Lebanese President Joseph Aoun issued a “strong” condemnation, stating that it was a “clear violation” of international laws and agreements (Lebanese presidential office X account, June 5, 2025).
  • Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stated that the attacks were a “violation” of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and of Lebanon’s sovereignty. He demanded that the international community take responsibility and deter Israel from continuing the attacks (al-Nashra, June 5, 2025).
  • The Lebanese minister of information announced that the Lebanese army had not found any weapons at the sites Israel had been monitoring. He claimed that the monitoring committee had informed Israel about the absence of weapons before the attack and noted that the ceasefire agreement prohibited Israel from conducting military actions (al-Hadath, June 6, 2025).
  • Later, “official Lebanese sources” claimed the American administration had admitted the buildings attacked were not being used by Hezbollah and blamed Israel, stating that the justifications for the attacks were baseless. However, the “sources” added that despite the criticism, the United States still supported Israel’s exerting pressure on Lebanon, including by linking withdrawal from the five points in south Lebanon to setting a timetable for Hezbollah’s disarmament (al-Sharq al-Awsat, June 9, 2025).
  • Gebran Bassil’s Free Patriotic Movement claimed that the attacks were “barbaric” and a blow to Lebanon’s security, stability and economy. The statement said that the timing of the attacks, as the summer tourist season approached, was a “dangerous escalation.” The party called on the ceasefire agreement’s guarantor countries to fulfill their obligations and deter Israel from continuing its attacks and compel it to fully withdraw from Lebanese territory (Free Patriotic Movement’s X account, June 6, 2025).

• In a speech marking 100 days since the formation of his government, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that the Lebanese army had dismantled more than 500 “military sites” south of the Litani. He added that as long as Israel “violated” the agreements and did not return Lebanese prisoners, the country would be unstable, adding that Lebanon would continue to pressure Israel to withdraw from its territory (al-Nashra, June 5, 2025).

The Lebanese army

• On the morning of June 5, 2025, Hezbollah-affiliated social media accounts claimed Lebanese army forces had searched a building in the al-Marijah area in the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia following an order from Israel threatening to attack the site. A “senior security official” denied the rumors and said that there had been no security incident in al-Marijah, no Israeli threats had been received and the situation on the ground was normal with no unusual occurrences (Janoubia, June 5, 2025).
• On June 5, 2025, after the IDF issued a warning prior to the attack on the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia, Lebanese army forces entered some of the marked buildings, but reportedly found nothing (al-Manar, June 5, 2025). Following the Israeli attacks, the Lebanese army issued a condemnation of attacks which [allegedly] “targeted civilians and residential buildings and facilities in various areas.” The army also reported that the “ongoing violations” and “Israeli refusal” to cooperate with the ceasefire monitoring committee weakened the committee and the army’s role and could lead to a suspension of the Lebanese army’s cooperation with the committee (Lebanese army X account, June 6, 2025).
• On June 8, 2025, according to reports the Lebanese army raided a destroyed building in al-Marijah in the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia and completely sealed it after the ceasefire monitoring committee said the site had to be searched or it would be attacked. During the search an Israeli UAV reportedly circled over the area. The soldiers informed the committee they had found nothing (al-Mayadeen and al-Nashra, June 8, 2025). “Official Lebanese sources” later confirmed that the army continued to carry out its duties in coordination with the monitoring committee and that contact with the Americans continued. However, it was still unclear who would assume responsibility for the Lebanon file in light of the expected departure of the deputy United States special envoy to the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus (al-Araby al-Jadeed, June 9, 2025).

• At the same time, the Lebanese army continued its activity in south Lebanon. A military unit found and dismantled an “espionage device” in near the town of Yaroun (Lebanese army X account, June 5, 2025). Army forces, in coordination with UNIFIL, removed several earthworks erected by the IDF and reopened roads on the outskirts of the towns of Meiss al-Jabal and  Marjayoun (Lebanese army X account, June 7, 2025).

UNIFIL

• UN secretary general António Guterres appointed Major General Diodato Abagnara of the Italian army as commander of the UNIFIL forces in Lebanon in place of Aroldo Lázaro, who had led the force since February 2022 (UNIFIL website, June 5, 2025).
• Outgoing UNIFIL commander Aroldo Lázaro met with Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri and with interior minister Ahmed al-Hajjar. They discussed the situation in south Lebanon, UNIFIL’s coordination with the Lebanese army and peacekeeping patrols. Lázaro noted UNIFIL’s commitment to security and stability in the south and to supporting local communities (UNIFIL Telegram channel, June 5, 2025).

• “Official Lebanese sources” reported that the Lebanese government would ask the UN Security Council to extend UNIFIL’s mandate and that France was assisting in efforts to maintain the force’s activity. The “sources” said Lebanon had not received an official update on any agreement between Israel and the United States to end the mandate and noted that every year ahead of the mandate’s renewal, Israeli and American pressure to amend it increased. The “sources” also said that an American military delegation was expected to arrive in Lebanon to conduct an assessment before a decision was made about UNIFIL’s future (al-Araby al-Jadeed, June 9, 2025).
• Clashes between UNIFIL forces and residents in south Lebanon continue: residents of the village of Sarifa in the Tyre area blocked a UNIFIL patrol which entered residential neighborhoods without being accompanied by the Lebanese army. During the incident, residents hung a Hezbollah flag on one of the UN vehicles. A Lebanese army force arrived at the scene and restored order. Meanwhile, a UNIFIL patrol reportedly entered Wadi al-Saluki in south Lebanon without Lebanese army escort (MTV and al-Nashra, June 7, 2025).

Hezbollah

Relations between Hezbollah and the Lebanese leadership

• Ali Fayyad, a member of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament, said that the faction’s meeting with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on June 4, 2025, was “an ice-breaker” and the issues discussed in the meeting “were moving in a positive direction.” He said it was necessary to reach understandings and a common denominator with the state in order to confront “the challenges.” He warned that “chaos is the enemy through which the Israeli enemy penetrates the ‘resistance’ to create internal division.” He added that the state had the right to enforce its authority, but had to fully carry out its role while protecting society, the land and state interests. He said pressure had to first be exerted on “the Israeli enemy” and on the international sponsors of the ceasefire agreement (Radio al-Nour, June 5, 2025).
• According to reports, reconstruction was extensively discussed in the meeting between Salam and the Hezbollah delegation. Salam said the government was not neglecting its responsibilities and was making genuine efforts, adding that the state’s efforts had secured significant funding commitments, including $250 million from the World Bank and $75 million at the most recent donor conference in Paris. However, the Hezbollah delegation said steps were needed to rebuild public trust and demonstrate the state’s presence, warning that failure to act could increase public “frustration and concern.” Regarding the World Bank’s reconstruction estimate of $11 billion, Hezbollah representatives claimed the figure was “greatly inflated,” asserting that actual losses were closer to $4 billion (al-Akhbar, June 5, 2025).

Disarming Hezbollah

• Ali Fayyad, a member of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament, said that before disarming the organization could be discussed, it was necessary to act with the United States and the international community to resolve the issues still in dispute with Israel: the IDF “occupation” of five posts in south Lebanon; daily Israeli attacks; 13 disputed points along the border; the “occupation” of the Lebanese side of the village of Ghajar; Israel’s failure to withdraw from the Lebanese part of the Shebaa Farms; violations of Lebanese sovereignty at sea, on land and from the air; preventing Israel’s use of part of the Wazzani River; delays in gas and oil extraction in the Mediterranean Sea due to political complications and international pressure; and an American veto on equipping Lebanon with defensive weapons (Radio al-Nour, June 5, 2025).
• “Government sources” reported that President Aoun was determined to ensure the state’s monopoly on weapons and was in continuous contact with the Hezbollah leadership to promote a dialogue to ensure the state’s exclusive control once the conditions were right. They said Hezbollah had no choice but to engage in serious dialogue which was not meant as a stalling tactic while waiting for the outcome of United States-Iran negotiations on the nuclear issue (al-Sharq al-Awsat, June 9, 2025).

Challenges faced by Hezbollah

• The Syrian interior ministry announced that in the city of al-Qusayr, near the Syria–Lebanon border, internal security forces foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons for Hezbollah. The weapons were reportedly transported in a vegetable truck, including anti-tank missiles were among the items confiscated (Syrian interior ministry Telegram channel, June 5, 2025).

     
Weapons seized at the Syria–Lebanon border
(Syrian interior ministry Telegram channel, June 5, 2025)

The Palestinians in Lebanon

• According to reports, on June 3, 2025, a meeting was held by officers of the Lebanese army’s intelligence directorate and general security with a senior Palestinian delegation of three officers and Azzam al-Ahmed, the PLO member who holds the Lebanon file. The Palestinians reportedly claimed they were committed to disarmament in the Palestinian refugee camps but admitted they had rushed the timeline before agreeing on a mechanism for collecting the weapons. Therefore they requested additional time to organize instead of starting the process in the Beirut refugee camps on June 16, 2025. In the assessment of “Lebanese sources,” it effectively constituted a Palestinian retreat from the initiative by Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas to remove weapons from the refugee camps, which was “not serious and could not be implemented,” and it could have led to a Palestinian–Lebanese confrontation, which was [allegedly] prevented only by the “responsible conduct” of President Aoun and Lebanese Parliament Speaker Berri (al-Akhbar, June 4, 2025).
• Hezbollah’s Lebanese daily newspaper al-Akhbar criticized the visit of Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas to Lebanon in May 2025 and claimed he had not advanced the interests of Palestinians in the refugee camps because he was focused only on the issue of Palestinian weapons and not on far more pressing problems, such as the civil rights of Palestinians in Lebanon. The paper said the Palestinians had to be granted basic rights, which would resolve many problems and allow them to live “normally” and with dignity. According to the paper, focusing on disarmament in the refugee camps did not address the internal security needs of the Palestinians. In addition, the delegation accompanying Mahmoud Abbas did not represent the Palestinians in Lebanon because key local figures were absent. In conclusion, the Palestinians should not be denied dignified lives because of the excuses of various Lebanese governments, the internal crisis within Fatah had to be resolved quickly and the official Palestinian institutions in Lebanon had to be revived (al-Akhbar, June 7, 2025).

^[1] The feast of the sacrifice, it honors the willingness of Ibrahim [Abraham] to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to divine command.
^[2] Hezbollah and the Palestinian terrorist organizations operating in Lebanon.

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