Israel strikes 2 Hizbollah targets in Lebanon despite a ceasefire deal

Israel said late on Thursday it had struck two sites in Lebanon that allegedly contained weapons belonging to the Hizbollah group, despite a ceasefire deal.

Israeli forces "conducted a precise strike in Lebanese territory on two military sites that contained Hizbollah weapons, which were in violation of the ceasefire agreement", the army said on social media.

A fragile Israel-Hizbollah ceasefire has been in place since November 27, after more than a year of hostilities including two months of all-out war.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued to carry out strikes on Lebanon, and both sides have repeatedly accused the other of violating the truce.

Under the deal, Lebanon's military was to deploy in the south alongside UN peacekeepers as the Israeli army withdrew over a 60-day period.

Iran-backed Hizbollah was also to pull back its forces north of the Litani River -- about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border -- and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.

The withdrawal period for Israeli forces was extended to February 18 after they missed the original January 26 deadline.

The current hostilities between Israel and Hizbollah began on October 8, 2023, the day after the unprecedented attack on Israel by Palestinian group Hamas, an ally of the Lebanese movement, which triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.

Agence France-Presse