Beirut: Israeli strikes on the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon killed 12 people on Tuesday, Lebanese state media reported, as the Israeli army said it hit Hezbollah targets in the area. Israels military said it was striking targets belonging to Hezbollahs elite Radwan force, in its latest attack on Lebanon despite a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group.

According to France24.com, a military statement said Israeli fighter jets launched “numerous strikes” on “Hezbollah terror targets in the area of Bekaa”. Defence Minister Israel Katz said the latest strikes were “a clear message” to Hezbollah and the Lebanese government “which is responsible for upholding the agreement”. Katz emphasized Israel’s commitment to “strike every terrorist and thwart any threat to the residents of the north and to the State of Israel.”

Katz also vowed to “respond with maximum force against any attempt at rebuilding” Hezbollah’s capabilities. The military statement noted that since Israel had “eliminated” Radwan force commanders in September, “the unit has been operating to reestablish its capabilities.” Storing weapons and other “activities” at the sites targeted on Tuesday were cited as “a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon and constitute a future threat to the State of Israel.”

Under the November ceasefire deal, Hezbollah was to pull its fighters back north of the Litani river, about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the Israeli border, leaving the Lebanese army and United Nations peacekeepers as the only armed parties in the region. Israel was required to fully withdraw its troops from the country but has kept them in five places it deems strategic.