The 10-day Israel-Lebanon ceasefire was tested after a French soldier was killed in an attack in southern Lebanon on April 18, highlighting Hezbollah’s alleged “human shield” tactics and drawing another nation into the conflict, a defense analyst said.
An IDF reservist was also killed, and nine soldiers were wounded – one seriously – the same day, when an engineering vehicle drove over a bomb planted by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the army said.
Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the INSS and Tel Aviv’s Misgav Institute, said the Iranian-backed group spent years preparing the region for Israel’s arrival, relying on its entrenched, signature terrorist strategy — even after the latest ceasefire and the IDF’s re-entry into southern Lebanon in March.
“This is the logic of human shields, using populations and sensitive civilian facilities to store weapons and use spaces for terror and operational purposes,” Michael told Fox News Digital.
Lawmakers questioned whether we were moving fast enough to capitalize on Hezbollah’s weakened state.
A displaced resident, carrying a Hezbollah flag, travels through the Qasmeeh region on his way back to his home in southern Lebanon.
(Getty Images)
“Hezbollah worked for decades to build the entire facility, part of it underground, under private residential buildings and homes, preparing itself for a surprise attack on Israel,” Michael added.
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“They were better prepared to defend themselves when the IDF came in and tried to fight them,” he said.
France’s foreign minister said the soldier was killed in a close-range attack and was killed by a direct gunshot.
The minister said the attack took place during an explosives clearance patrol near Gandhouriyah, when troops came under small arms fire from “non-state actors”, a term often used to refer to groups such as Hezbollah.
“They work in the Shiite villages and the Shiite population supported by Hezbollah,” Michael said, explaining how “most of the people in these southern villages are connected to Hezbollah in some way” and “are very dependent on the terrorist organization.”
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This image shows Hezbollah terrorists. A “terrorist network” funded and operated by Hezbollah and Iran has been foiled in the United Arab Emirates, according to a report.
“All community life and infrastructure in these Shiite villages and towns are an effective cover for terrorist objectives and Hezbollah activities,” he added.
French President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed the death of the soldier.
“Sergeant Major Florian Montorio of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment in Montauban was killed this morning in an attack against UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) in southern Lebanon,” Macron said. “Three of his friends were wounded and evacuated.”
“All signs point to Hezbollah being responsible for this attack. France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest the perpetrators and take responsibility together with UNIFIL,” Macron added.
Michel, however, claimed that Macron’s response was in some ways inconsistent as the president was drawn into the war.
Initially, France called the Israeli attacks on Lebanon on April 8 “intolerable” and opposed the ground offensive.
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French President Emmanuel Macron gives a press conference on July 10, 2025 in London, England.
Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, also expressed his desire to keep Macron out of the ceasefire talks, highlighting tensions surrounding his policies.
“When it comes to Hezbollah violations against Israel, the French demand restraint and restraint from Israel, but when it comes to one of their soldiers, they are angry at Hezbollah,” Michael said.
“That said, Hezbollah has violated the ceasefire agreement from the very first moment,” Michael added.
Hezbollah has denied the attack, with the soldier’s death still underscoring the instability of the 10-day ceasefire, which took effect on April 16.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack in a statement and said a preliminary assessment by the UN Interim Force in Lebanon found it was carried out by Hezbollah.
According to the US State Department, under the terms of the 2026 ceasefire negotiated between Israel and Lebanon, Israel reserves the right to act in self-defense against threats, while Lebanon must take steps to prevent attacks by Hezbollah and other armed groups.
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Rescue workers search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that struck a crowded neighborhood south of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, April 5, 2026.
Lebanon’s security forces are solely responsible for national security, and both sides have urged the U.S. to continue negotiations to resolve remaining issues.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also said the attack was in response to what it described as a “ceasefire violation by Hezbollah.”
Michael also emphasized Iran’s continued influence, with Hezbollah operating as an “uncontrolled political force” in southern Lebanon.
“Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is still in charge of Hezbollah,” he added, adding that the Lebanese army is also “unwilling to fight or confront Hezbollah.”
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“First, because of the Shia section of the army that identifies with Hezbollah, and second, because it fears that confronting Hezbollah will lead to a civil war, which has traumatized them for 15 years since the first war in 1975 – until 1990.”
Michael added: “The Iranian-controlled Shia militias are also not subject to state authority, enabling Hezbollah to function as an unchecked political force within the Lebanese political system.”
Original article source: Hezbollah ‘human shield’ strategy behind Lebanon attacks, bombings – Macron drawn in
