On the evening of March 22, 2025, the Israeli military began massive bombing raids on Shiite Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. The decision to carry out a series of strikes was made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant after the morning shelling of the northern city of Metula, where five rockets launched from the Lebanese side violated a fragile ceasefire. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) leadership received clear instructions to strike infrastructure that poses a threat to the Israeli population, the Defense Ministry reported in an official statement.

"The Lebanese government bears full responsibility for what is happening on its territory. Israel will not tolerate attacks on its citizens and encroachments on its sovereignty. We will defend the state with all available means," - stressed in the department.

The evening attacks targeted Hezbollah headquarters, weapons depots, launch pads and fighter units scattered across Lebanon. The military said the strikes hit both the southern part of the country and the eastern Bekaa Valley, near the Syrian border. The region has become a key stronghold for the group in recent months after the IDF took over border areas in southern Lebanon, forcing the militants to retreat and redeploy their resources. The earlier daytime airstrikes were merely preparations for the larger operation that unfolded after sunset. Lebanese sources said the Bekaa attacks left two people dead, including a child, and eight wounded, the Health Ministry said.

Israel's response to the morning shelling of Metula demonstrates the authorities' determination to put an end to rocket attacks from Lebanon, which continue to threaten northern areas of the country despite the ceasefire. The military said the strikes were aimed at destroying Hezbollah infrastructure, including dozens of rocket launchers and the command center from which shells were fired into the Galilee in the morning. The IDF stressed that the shelling was a "flagrant violation of the agreements" reached in November 2024 with the mediation of the United States, and promised a tough response. Meanwhile, Metula Council Chairman David Azoulay sent an urgent appeal to the government, calling for the return of residents to the city to be postponed until the situation is fully stabilized.

"Without security guarantees, the North will not be able to recover" “he noted, pointing to the risk of continued “creeping” attacks by unidentified forces.

To add context, the escalation on the Lebanese-Israeli border comes amid ongoing tensions following a 14-month conflict that has claimed thousands of lives. As the BBC reported on February 23, Israeli strikes in Lebanon in recent months alone have killed more than 3800 Hezbollah fighters, according to the IDF, and hundreds of civilians. The war in Lebanon has cost an estimated $11 billion in damage, according to the World Bank, and has displaced hundreds of thousands of people. A ceasefire that took effect on November 27, 2024, has been extended until February 18, 2025, but Israel has retained control of five strategic heights in southern Lebanon, prompting protests from Beirut. The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is close to Hezbollah, reported on March 22 that the strikes also hit the areas of Jizin and Aklim al-Tufah, where the group continues to hold ground.