Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (June 9 – 16, 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 its military capabilities.
• Senior Hezbollah figures and Lebanese government officials again called on the international community to exert pressure on Israel to end its “violations” of the ceasefire. A senior Hezbollah figure claimed they did not expect Lebanon to launch a military conflict due to its weakness vis-à-vis Israel.
• The Lebanese army searched a building in the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia in coordination with the ceasefire supervision committee after having been given information by Israel about the presence of weapons.
• A disagreement was reported within the Lebanese leadership regarding the toughening of UNIFIL’s mandate, which is expected to end in August 2025. Hezbollah claimed they supported extending the mandate.
• The Lebanese leadership condemned an incident in which a resident in south Lebanon was filmed hitting a UNIFIL soldier. The UNIFIL spokesman stressed the agency’s right to conduct patrols without an escort of Lebanese army forces.
• The Lebanese prime minister said the country had regained control of Beirut’s international airport and was waging a fight against smuggling. The American ambassador to Lebanon has reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the authorities’ handling of the issue of Hezbollah’s disarmament.
• Disarming the Palestinian refugee camps has been postponed because of the Israel-Iran War and Internal-Palestinian disputes.

The Ceasefire

The IDF

• The IDF continued to operate against Hezbollah targets identified in south Lebanon in violation of the ceasefire agreement of November 27, 2024, which prohibited the organization’s presence south of the Litani River, and against Hezbollah’s efforts to restore its military capabilities. The IDF reported it had eliminated two Hezbollah operatives and an operative of the Lebanese Companies^[1] (IDF spokesperson, June 9-16, 2025).
• The Lebanese ministry of health reported three deaths and 13 injuries in Israeli attacks (al-Nashra, June 9-16, 2025). Hezbollah-affiliated social media accounts reported that five operatives had been killed (Muhammad Hussein Yahya’s X account, June 9-16, 2025; Ali Diyab’s X account, June 9, 2025). A wave of aerial attacks was reported in various areas of south Lebanon and the Beqa’a Valley (Saida Post Facebook page, June 12, 2025; Lebanon Uprising Facebook page, June 12, 2025).

Hezbollah

• Hassan Fadlallah, a member of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament, claimed that the “Israeli enemy” was exploiting the country’s inability to “create equations” of defense, deterrence and confrontation and to take steps to prevent Israel from attacking. He said that because of the “imbalance” they were not calling for the country to enter into a military conflict, but it could mobilize its political, public, security and media power to exert pressure on the sponsoring countries to stop the attacks (al-Manar, June 9, 2025).
• Ali Fayyad, a member of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament, condemned the IDF attack on the town of Shebaa in which two “civilians” were killed, and said that the attacks against “civilians” blatantly violated Lebanese sovereignty and the ceasefire agreement. He called on the Lebanese leadership to take a strong international and local stance against the committee supervising the ceasefire, which he claimed was useless. He said Lebanon should file an urgent complaint with the UN Security Council and summon the ambassadors of the countries responsible for the ceasefire to exert pressure on the “enemy.” He said the “enemy’s” claims regarding military targets were lies which failed to hide the truth, which was that Israel was a “terrorist entity” (al-Manar, June 11, 2025).
• Muhammad Raad, the head of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament, met with Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French envoy to Lebanon. They discussed the latest developments in Lebanon, Israel’s attacks on the country and its [alleged] “violations” of the ceasefire agreement. They also discussed the reconstruction of south Lebanon (al-Nashra, June 11, 2025). “Informed sources” said Raad noted the “severity of the escalation,” “the significance of the ceasefire for Lebanon” and the importance of France’s role as one of the guarantors of the ceasefire agreement (al-Akhbar, June 12, 2025).

The Lebanese leadership

• Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Lebanon was employing diplomatic means to exert pressure on Israel “to stop its attacks and withdraw from the five points where it is present” (Lebanese News Agency, June 10, 2025).
• Jean-Yves Le Drian, France’s envoy to Lebanon, visited Beirut. He met with the heads of government and discussed developments in the country and the implementation of the ceasefire, as well as the role of the UNIFIL force in the south of the country:
  • Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called Israel’s “continuous attacks” on Lebanon a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement and demanded that the international community pressure Israel to end them. He also condemned the attacks on UNIFIL patrols in south Lebanon (al-Nashra, June 10, 2025).

• • Meeting with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Le Drian discussed political and economic developments as well as developments in south Lebanon in light of Israel’s “continuous attacks.” They also discussed Lebanon-France relations (Lebanese Prime Minister’s Office X account, June 10, 2025).
  • Meeting with Le Drian, Nabih Berri, speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, noted the need to initiate reconstruction efforts following Israel’s “aggression” and expressed appreciation for France’s efforts in preparing for the reconstruction conference. Berri noted France’s efforts to support Lebanon in dealing with “the conspiracy being hatched against the UNIFIL force, whose objective is to undermine it, Lebanon and the south” (al-Nashra, June 10, 2025).
  • Le Drian reportedly expressed France’s desire to be present and involved, especially in reconstruction issues, as well as its desire to keep UNIFIL as a significant factor in south Lebanon (al-Akhbar, June 10, 2025).

The Lebanese army

• On June 10-11, 2025, the Lebanese army removed the rubble of a building which was destroyed in the al-Sainte-Thérèse area in the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia in Beirut. The action was taken at the request of the ceasefire supervision committee because of Israeli claims that weapons were located under it; the building was attacked by the Israeli Air Force on June 5, 2025 (al-Jadeed, June 10, 2025; al-Bahaa Telegram channel, June 11, 2025).

• A Lebanese army officer and two soldiers were reportedly injured as a result of an explosion of ammunition left over from Israeli operations in south Lebanon (al-Mayadeen, June 12, 2025).

UNIFIL

• “Lebanese sources” reported that President Aoun, Prime Minister Salam and Parliament Speaker Berri wanted to renew UNIFIL’s mandate, which is due to expire at the end of August 2025, but they disagreed about the need to formulate a more stringent mandate in the UN Security Council. According to the “sources,” Hezbollah believes that UNIFIL should remain on the ground in Lebanon, but does not encourage accepting a new, more stringent mandate which would grant the UN peacekeeping forces in the south broader powers (al-Akhbar, June 11, 2025).
• Muhammad Raad, head of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament, reportedly told French envoy Le Drian that the organization supported the state’s position regarding extending UNIFIL’s mandate and did not believe there was a problem. Le Drian reportedly said that “there are external factors that are working and pressuring [the UN] not to renew the force’s mandate or pushing to change it,” but did not specify what they were. He also warned against attempts to create tensions on the ground which could be used as excuses (al-Nashra, June 11, 2025; al-Akhbar, June 12, 2025). Ali Fiyyad, a member of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament, also noted the importance of the presence of UNIFIL forces in south Lebanon for implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 in coordination with the Lebanese army, while ensuring the force’s limited role in preventing Israeli violations and attacks and providing assistance to the State of Lebanon in expanding its sovereignty in the south of the country (al-Manar, June 11, 2025).

• UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tennenti denied reports of an Israeli-American agreement regarding the end of UNIFIL activities, calling them “rumors.” He added that the UNIFIL forces continued to assist the Lebanese army in its work, and called for a complete Israeli withdrawal from the south of the country and for its actions to be restrained. He said stability in south Lebanon was fragile and Israel had to stop “violating” the ceasefire.
• The growing tensions between local residents in south Lebanon and UNIFIL forces led to the report of an unusual incident on June 10, 2025, when civilians clashed with UNIFIL forces near ​​the town of Deir Qanoun al-Nahar. A video showed a local resident hitting a UNIFIL soldier and the locals warning the soldiers not to return to the area without a Lebanese army escort. According to reports, the Lebanese army forces that arrived at the site fired tear gas to disperse the residents (al-Nahar and Lebanon24, June 10, 2025). The incident sparked condemnation from UNIFIL and senior Lebanese officials:
  • UNIFIL stated that freedom of movement was a prerequisite for the implementation of the force’s mandate, and that included its ability to act independently and neutrally, as clarified in Security Council Resolution 1701. UNIFIL emphasized that any restriction of the force’s freedom of movement, whether during or outside of operational activity, with or without the Lebanese army, would be considered a violation of Resolution 1701. It also said it was unacceptable that the force’s soldiers continued to be attacked, and UNIFIL called on the Lebanese authorities to take all necessary steps to ensure that UNIFIL peacekeeping forces continued to carry out their missions without interference or threat (UNIFIL Telegram channel, June 10, 2025). Andrea Tennenti, the force’s spokesman, said that UN Resolution 1701 allowed UNIFIL to move without a Lebanese army escort, but some residents of the south did not understand UNIFIL’s role (al-Jadeed, June 12, 2025).

• • The Lebanese foreign ministry condemned the attack on the UNIFIL force and said the safety and security of the force’s personnel could not be endangered. The ministry demanded that the attackers be brought to justice and stressed Lebanon’s commitment to UNIFIL’s role and support for its work, whose objective was helping to maintain peace and security in south Lebanon (al-Nashra, June 10, 2025).
  • Nabih Berri, speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, claimed the clashes broke out after UNIFIL soldiers patrolled open areas without a Lebanese army escort However, he said Beirut wants the force to remain in the country and wants good relations with it (al-Nahar, June 11, 2025).
  • Meanwhile, “sources” who commented on reports of clashes between UNIFIL forces and residents of south Lebanon claimed that they were the result of actions by several “factors” in Lebanon, which could lead to a change in the force’s mandate or its non-renewal. Hezbollah reportedly ordered its supporters to prevent UNIFIL from entering southern villages without an army escort, while Nabih Berri, speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, was working to reduce tensions and protect the force. The “sources” also noted that UNIFIL operations in the south were intended to examine villages and towns in south Lebanon without the presence of the army, with the objective of bringing the fact to the attention of the Security Council and changing the mandate (al-Nashra, June 10, 2025).
• In the wake of the events, Rodolph Haykal, the commander of the Lebanese army, visited the UNIFIL headquarters in al-Naqoura and met with the force commander, Aroldo Lazaro. They discussed the latest developments in the south and the importance of cooperation between the bodies within the framework of Resolution 1701. UNIFIL’s central role in efforts to restore stability in south Lebanon was also noted at a time when “the Israeli enemy continues its attacks and occupation of Lebanese territory” (Lebanese army X account, June 11, 2025).
• Michel Menassa, the Lebanese defense minister, also visited the UNIFIL headquarters in al-Naqoura. He visited the Lebanese army’s Southern Litani Command in Tyre for a first-hand view of the missions of the various units of the Lebanese army and coordination with UNIFIL (Koura Media Facebook page, June 2025; al-Akhbar, June 12, 2025).

      
Right: Visit of the Lebanese army commander to UNIFIL Headquarters (Lebanese army X account, June 11, 2025). Left: The Lebanese defense minister and the UNIFIL commander at the force headquarters (al-Akhbar, June 12, 2025)

Hezbollah

Hezbollah’s response to the Israel-Iran War

• Hezbollah strongly condemned Israel’s “brutal aggression” against Iran, which it claimed constituted “a dangerous escalation with full American cover and sponsorship.” Hezbollah secretary general Naim Qassem condemned Israel’s “dangerous, criminal aggression, supported by the United States,” and stated “there is no justification for Israel’s aggression other than silencing the voice of truth which supports the Palestinian people in Gaza” (Hezbollah combat information Telegram channel, June 13, 2025).^[2]

Disarming Hezbollah

• According to reports, Lisa Johnson, the American ambassador to Lebanon, told Lebanese officials and diplomats in Beirut that the United States was not satisfied with the delay in the transfer of weapons from Hezbollah to the state. She said the international demand was that the issue of weapons took precedence over everything else, especially when “there is no proof that the Lebanese army received weapons from Hezbollah” (al-Jadeed, June 10, 2025).
• Lebanese prime minister Nawaf Salam gave a speech at the Lebanon reconstruction summit in which he claimed the country had dismantled more than 500 weapons depots in south Lebanon and had regained control of Beirut International Airport. He said significant security and administrative changes had been made at the airport along with a crackdown on smuggling. Salam also noted the need to establish Lebanon’s sovereignty over all of its territory and to limit the possession of weapons to the state in order to establish peace and stability (Lebanese News Agency, June 10, 2025).

• Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chairman of Hezbollah’s political council, claimed the organization was committed to discussing disarmament or handing over its weapons. He added that Hezbollah was discussing weapons as part of a “defense strategy based on internal dialogue.” He claimed Hezbollah would act according to the principle that “what benefits our country, its sovereignty and its strength in the face of the threats waiting in ambush, will be carried out.” He added that Hezbollah was fully committed to implementing Resolution 1701, which calls for an end to the possession of weapons south of the Litani River. He claimed Hezbollah had left the area south of the Litani River and handed over the weapons to the Lebanese army, which was the national military ruler of south Lebanon. Referring to the weapons north of the Litani River, Qamati said thei ssued was “complex” and would be raised in discussions with the Lebanese president, not in the media. He claimed that the organization had a comprehensive vision of a defense strategy and the role of weapons, but said weapons will not be used in sectarian struggles within Lebanon, but only “within the framework of defense ” (al-Nahar, June 12, 2025).

Houthi arrested for allegedly spying for Israel

• Lebanese authorities reportedly arrested a “senior Houthi official” who was allegedly recruited by the Mossad and provided Israel with important information related to Yemen and coordination between the Houthis and Hezbollah. According to the report, the “official” is a Yemeni citizen whose role was to coordinate between the Houthi movement and Hezbollah (Lebanon 24, June 10, 2025). “An official source in the Houthi foreign ministry” denied the report and claimed that “no Houthi leaders are present in Lebanon.” He said the claims were an attempt to “mislead the media and distort the firm positions of the Houthi Yemen on issues related to the state, primarily the Palestinian issue.” “Additional sources” reported that the detainee did not belong to any organization in general ot the Houthi movement in particular (Lebanese News Agency, June 10, 2025).

The reconstruction of Lebanon

• At the Lebanon reconstruction summit held in Beirut, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that the recent campaign against Israel had exacerbated the economic crisis in Lebanon, since reconstruction costs were estimated at $14 billion (Lebanese News Agency, June 10, 2025). Salam led a discussion on the international support project for Lebanon, whose objective is to finance the reconstruction of services and infrastructure damaged during the fighting. The meeting was attended by ambassadors from various countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Germany (Lebanese prime minister’s X account, June 10, 2025).

The Palestinians in Lebanon

• According to reports, in light of the Israel-Iran War, it was decided to freeze the plan to collect weapons from Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, which was supposed to begin on June 16, 2025, fearing of Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory. It was also reported that in meetings of several Palestinian “factions,”^[3] including Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a “vision” document was formulated which did not include any explicit reference to disarmament, but rather stated that the weapons would be organized and supervised by a “joint security force” which would coordinate with the Lebanese army (al-Nashra, June 16, 2025).
• “Informed sources” reported that Azzam al-Ahmed, a member of Fatah’s Central Council, was scheduled to visit Lebanon in the near future at the head of a security delegation to conclude the discussion on the mechanism for transferring Palestinian weapons to the Lebanese army. “Sources involved in the issue” reported that the transfer of weapons could not yet begin because “matters had not yet matured” and in light of regional developments, making it difficult to make practical decisions. “Official sources” reported that the Palestinian leadership in Lebanon had not yet received official instructions from the Palestinian Authority leadership in Ramallah or the Lebanese security forces, and a number of intra-Palestinian disputes still needed to be resolved (Beirut News, June 16, 2025).

^[1] A branch of Hezbollah established in 1997 to attract non-Shi'ite operatives.
^[2] For further information, see the June 2015 ITIC report, "Resistance axis reactions to the Israel-Iran War."
^[3] Terrorist organizations.

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