Israeli Airstrikes on Southern Lebanon Following Warnings from U.S. Envoy Tom Barak

Israel launched a series of airstrikes on various areas in southern Lebanon on Monday morning, just hours after warnings issued by the U.S. envoy to Syria and Turkey, Tom Barak, regarding the possibility of Tel Aviv conducting a military operation against Hezbollah.

Lebanese media reported that the shelling targeted the Mahmoudiya area, the course of the Khardali River, and the vicinity of the Litani River, while the Israeli army announced that it "attacked infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in the Nabatieh area," confirming that the party "continues to rebuild its military facilities in clear violation of the existing understandings between Lebanon and Israel."

These developments came after Barak's statements, who warned via the "X" platform that "Israel may act unilaterally if Beirut continues to hesitate regarding disarming Hezbollah," adding that "the consequences will be extremely severe."

The U.S. envoy explained that a potential confrontation "could occur at a moment when Israel possesses the highest degree of power, while Hezbollah, backed by Iran, is at its weakest," as he put it.

Barak also noted that several U.S. initiatives to push Lebanon towards a peaceful settlement with Israel "have stalled in recent weeks," while considering that Syria and Lebanon represent "the next phase in the regional peace project" launched after the Sharm El-Sheikh summit on October 13, which he described as "a turning point in modern diplomacy."

Barak called on the U.S. Congress to repeal the Caesar Act imposed on Syria since 2019, considering that "the sanctions have served their moral purpose but are now suffocating a nation trying to rise."