The Israeli Air Force launched a series of airstrikes early Saturday targeting what it said were hundreds of heavy engineering vehicles used by Hezbollah to rebuild its military infrastructure in southern Lebanon. 

In a statement, the Israeli army said the raids struck multiple Hezbollah sites where the group had gathered heavy machinery “for rebuilding its terror infrastructure in southern Lebanon.” The army accused Hezbollah of operating within populated areas “in a way that endangers Lebanese civilians and uses them as human shields,” adding that such activity violated the ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024.

According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, more than 10 strikes hit areas around the southern town of al-Msayleh, destroying about 300 vehicles, including bulldozers, excavators, and smaller construction machines. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said one person was killed and seven others wounded in the bombardment. Local reports identified the victim as a Syrian worker who had been driving a van loaded with fruits and vegetables when the strikes occurred.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun denounced the attacks as an act of “heinous Israeli aggression against civilian facilities,” saying the assault “comes without justification or pretext.” He warned that the strike “takes on added gravity because it follows the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.”

In a separate development, the Israeli army confirmed conducting a drone strike on Saturday near the southern Lebanese towns of Qalaouiyeh and Khirbet Selm, claiming it killed a Hezbollah operative involved in efforts to restore the group’s operational capabilities. Another drone attack the previous day reportedly targeted a construction vehicle in the town of Blida, also in southern Lebanon.