BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged on Thursday U.S. General Joseph Clearfield, the new head of the Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire monitoring committee, to curb Israel's escalating violations and uphold the fragile truce along Lebanon's southern border.

During their meeting at Baabda Palace, Aoun said Lebanon expects the committee "to play a decisive role in restoring stability to the south and halting unjustified Israeli attacks that target civilians and vital institutions."

According to a statement by Lebanon's presidency, Aoun underscored that the Lebanese army "continues to fulfill its duties south of the Litani River," calling for international pressure on Israel "to withdraw from occupied Lebanese territories," which would enable full army deployment to the border.

Aoun also noted the army's progress in dismantling armed groups, uncovering tunnels, and confiscating weapons, reaffirming Lebanon's "commitment to all security measures" aimed at lasting calm.

Clearfield, for his part, said the monitoring committee will hold regular meetings to reinforce the ceasefire and outlined upcoming steps to support stability in southern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, in a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck Hezbollah military targets in northern and eastern Lebanon on Thursday.

According to the statement, the Israeli Air Force conducted intelligence-based strikes in the Bekaa Valley, hitting what it described as a Hezbollah training compound and a site used for missile production. The IDF also said it targeted military infrastructure near the village of Sharbine in northern Lebanon.

The military added that the targeted sites represented "a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon."

A ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel, brokered by the United States and France, has been in effect since late November last year, bringing an end to hostilities between the two sides that were sparked by the war in Gaza.

Despite the agreement, the Israeli army occasionally conducts strikes in Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah "threats," and maintains a presence at five key points along the Lebanese border. ■