Hezbollah Evacuates Positions Ahead of Anticipated Israeli Raids

Hezbollah has vacated positions in southern and eastern Lebanon following Israeli threats of retaliation for a deadly strike in the annexed Golan Heights, according to a source close to the group.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed to “hit the enemy hard” after rocket fire from Lebanon killed 12 minors in Majdal Shams, escalating fears that the Gaza conflict could spread further.

Israel accused Hezbollah of launching a Falaq-1 Iranian rocket, but the Iran-backed group, which frequently targets Israeli military positions, denied any involvement in the incident.

A source close to Hezbollah, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP on Sunday that the group had vacated some positions in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, areas it anticipated could be targeted by Israel.

Hezbollah has a significant presence in the Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border and in southern Lebanon, where it has been conducting near-daily attacks on Israeli positions in support of Hamas since October.

While the exchanges of fire have mostly been confined to the border areas, Israel has also targeted deeper locations within Lebanon. Hezbollah is also active in Syria, supporting President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war there.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that pro-Iran groups and Hezbollah-affiliated fighters have vacated positions south of Damascus, in the Damascus countryside, and parts of the Syrian-controlled Golan Heights, anticipating possible Israeli airstrikes.

Earlier in June, Hezbollah had already abandoned some positions in Syria following Israeli raids, according to the Observatory.

Since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, Israel has carried out numerous strikes in Syria, mainly targeting military positions and Iran-backed fighters, including Hezbollah. These raids also aim to disrupt Hezbollah’s supply routes to Lebanon.

Although Israeli authorities rarely comment on individual strikes in Syria, they have consistently stated they will not permit Iran to strengthen its presence there.

Israel’s raids in Syria intensified after Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel triggered the war in Gaza but have decreased following an April 1 strike on the Iranian consular building in Damascus, which was attributed to Israel.

That strike led to Iran’s first-ever direct missile and drone attack on Israel on April 13-14, significantly raising regional tensions.

The cross-border violence since October has resulted in at least 527 deaths in Lebanon, most of them fighters but including 104 civilians, according to an AFP tally. On the Israeli side, 22 soldiers and 24 civilians have been killed.

Israeli strikes have killed at least 25 Hezbollah fighters in Syria since the Gaza conflict began, according to an AFP count.