JERUSALEM/BEIRUT, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces said it struck Hezbollah targets in several areas in Lebanon on Friday.

Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported that the strikes were carried out in the Beqaa Valley in eastern Lebanon and in the Jezzine District in the south of the country.

A statement issued by the Israeli army said one of the targets was a training compound for Hezbollah's elite unit, the Radwan Force, adding that weapons depots, military structures, and other infrastructure used by Hezbollah were also targeted.

It claimed that the targets and military training of Hezbollah constitute a violation of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon and a threat to Israel.

Meanwhile, Lebanon's official National News Agency reported that Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes "on the outskirts of Hermel in eastern Lebanon."

It also reported airstrikes "targeting Jabal Safi, the al-Breij area on the outskirts of Jbaa in the Iqlim al-Tuffah region, as well as the areas of Kfar Melki and Bouslaiya, deep in southern Lebanon."

A source from Lebanese army intelligence, along with eyewitnesses, told Xinhua that Israeli warplanes conducted nine airstrikes on areas housing Hezbollah sites.

The source added that the warplanes launched approximately 18 air-to-ground missiles, triggering massive explosions in southern Lebanon.

A ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel has been in force since Nov. 27, 2024. However, Israel has continued to carry out occasional strikes in Lebanon, saying they are aimed at eliminating Hezbollah threats. The Lebanese government has repeated condemned Israeli attacks in the country. ■