BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- Israeli warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes on Wednesday targeting multiple areas in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese media reports and the Israeli army.

Lebanon's official National News Agency said Israeli warplanes launched several air-to-ground missiles around 10 a.m., striking Wadi al-Numairiyah and Wadi Houmine in the Nabatieh area.

The agency added that the attacks coincided with intensive unmanned aerial vehicle flights at medium altitude over towns in Nabatieh.

A Lebanese army intelligence source told Xinhua that Israeli warplanes carried out 11 strikes on areas containing Hezbollah positions, firing about 20 air-to-ground missiles that caused powerful explosions and material damage. No immediate reports of casualties were available.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it had targeted Hezbollah rocket-launching sites in several areas of southern Lebanon.

In a statement posted on X, the army's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said military buildings and other "terrorist infrastructure" used by Hezbollah operatives were destroyed. He claimed the targeted sites violated the understandings between Israel and Lebanon and said the Israeli army would continue to remove those threats.

A U.S.- and French-brokered ceasefire agreement has been in effect since Nov. 27, 2024, ending months of cross-border clashes linked to the war in the Gaza Strip. Despite the deal, Israel has continued to carry out occasional strikes in Lebanon, saying they are aimed at neutralizing Hezbollah threats, and has maintained forces at five positions along the border after the deadline for a full withdrawal expired on Feb. 18.

Earlier this month, Israel and Lebanon held their first direct talks in the southern Lebanese town of Naqoura, followed by another round of security discussions last week focusing on Hezbollah's disarmament and the return of residents to border villages. ■