Israeli missiles slam into a building in southern Lebanese town of Aanan

Video obtained by Reuters showed an Israeli airstrike on the southern Lebanese town of Aanan on Monday (January 5), with thick clouds of smoke billowing into the night sky.

The location of the video was verified by corroborating Reuters footage of the scene.

The date the video was filmed was verified by the original file metadata.

The Israeli military said it began striking what it described as Hezbollah and Hamas targets in Lebanon on Monday, after issuing evacuation orders for four villages in the country’s east and south.

Earlier, an Israeli military spokesperson said the strikes would target what he called Hezbollah and Hamas military infrastructure in the villages of Hammara and Ain el-Tineh in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, and Kfar Hatta and Aanan in the south.

Israel and Lebanon agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in 2024, ending more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah that had culminated in Israeli strikes that severely weakened the Iran-backed militant group.     

Since then, the sides have traded accusations over violations.

Lebanon has faced growing pressure from the U.S. and Israel to disarm Hezbollah, and its leaders fear that Israel could dramatically escalate strikes across the battered country to push Lebanon's leaders to confiscate Hezbollah's arsenal more quickly.

Production: Gerardo Gomez, Ivan Romero/Reuters