Lebanon on Tuesday rejected Israeli accusations that a Lebanese soldier killed in an airstrike near the southern city of Sidon had links to Hezbollah, after Israel said it had attacked three operatives working to rebuild the terror group’s infrastructure.
The Israel Defense Forces said the three men were involved in planning attacks against its forces and that two were members of Hezbollah’s air defense unit. It also alleged that one of those killed, Ali Abdullah, was serving concurrently in Lebanese army intelligence.
The Lebanese state-run National News Agency said the strike was carried out by an Israeli drone around 10 kilometers (six miles) from Sidon.
The Lebanese army later confirmed that Warrant Officer Ali Abdullah of the army’s Support Brigade and Anti-Tank Regiment was killed when an Israeli airstrike hit a vehicle near Sidon on Monday.
The Lebanese defense ministry said suggestions that army personnel were tied to political or armed groups were false, and Defense Minister Michel Menassa said such reports amounted to a “malicious attack” on the institution.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the terms
A Hezbollah official also denied to Reuters any link between the group and members of the Lebanese army.
People and first responders are seen at the site of an Israeli strike that targeted a car near the southern Lebanese village of Mazraat al Qnaitra on December 22, 2025. (Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP)
Diplomatic efforts are continuing to try to shore up a fragile truce along the Israel–Lebanon border, even as Israel keeps up its regular strikes on Lebanon, which it says are targeting Hezbollah infrastructure or operatives violating the November 2024 ceasefire.
The US-backed ceasefire ended more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and required the disarmament of the Iran-backed group, beginning in areas south of the river adjacent to Israel.
Under international pressure, and in light of fears of expanded Israeli strikes, Lebanon has committed to disarming Hezbollah and plans to do so south of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (about 18.5 miles) from the border with Israel, by year’s end.
But Israel has questioned the Lebanese military’s effectiveness and has accused Hezbollah of rearming, while the group itself has rejected calls to surrender its weapons.
On Tuesday, the Lebanese army said it was nearing completion of the first phase of its plan and was carefully assessing and planning subsequent stages, taking into account all relevant conditions and developments.
The latest strike came after Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives on Friday took part in a meeting of the ceasefire monitoring committee for a second time, having held their first direct talks in decades earlier this month, also under the committee’s auspices.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hezbollah of attempting to rebuild military infrastructure in southern Lebanon, saying such activity violates understandings governing the Israel–Lebanon frontier.
Smoke rises from the site of a series of Israeli airstrikes that targeted the outskirts of the southern Lebanese village of al-Qatrani on December 18, 2025. (Rabih Daher/AFP)
A committee overseeing the Hezbollah–Israel truce said last week it was focusing on returning displaced civilians to their homes, amid concerns that tensions could flare if a year-end deadline to disarm Hezbollah is not met.
The latest strike came after Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives on Friday took part in a meeting of the ceasefire monitoring committee for a second time, having held their first direct talks in decades earlier this month, also under the committee’s auspices.
The committee comprises representatives from Lebanon, Israel, the United States, France, and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Israel said Friday’s meeting was part of broader efforts to ensure Hezbollah’s disarmament and strengthen security in border areas.
Is The Times of Israel important to you?
If so, we have a year-end request.
Every day during the past two years of war and rising global antisemitism, our journalists kept you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fact-based coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
We care about Israel – and we know you do too. So as 2025 draws to a close, we have an ask: show your appreciation for our work by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our journalism
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel