Israel has launched fresh airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon following the first rocket attack into its territory since a ceasefire agreement came into effect in November.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) “to act forcefully against dozens of terror targets in Lebanon.”
The Israeli military confirmed that three rockets fired into the northern town of Metula were intercepted on Saturday morning, with no reported injuries.
In response, Lebanon’s state news agency reported that one person had been killed in the Israeli strikes. No group has claimed responsibility for the rocket attack, but Lebanon’s Prime Minister has cautioned against the country being dragged “into a new war.”
The incident marks a significant flare-up since the truce that ended 14 months of intense conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, a Lebanese armed group backed by Iran. Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued near-daily air raids on what it describes as Hezbollah positions, insisting such action is necessary to prevent the group from rebuilding its arsenal.
The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, Unifil, expressed concern over the renewed violence, stating it was “alarmed by the possible escalation of violence” and called on both parties to “uphold their commitments”.
Reports from Lebanon indicated that artillery fire had hit several locations in the south. The Lebanese army said it had uncovered and dismantled “three primitive rocket launchers” during a search operation in the area.
Tensions have remained high as Israel continues to hold five positions in southern Lebanon, a move the Lebanese government regards as a breach of the ceasefire and a violation of its sovereignty. Israel maintains that the Lebanese army has not fully deployed in those regions, justifying its presence as necessary for the protection of Israeli border communities.
Saturday’s incident is expected to further strain Lebanon’s leadership, with Israeli officials likely to use the attack as evidence that the Lebanese military lacks control over border zones.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah has yet to respond to Israel’s ongoing strikes, with the group grappling with post-war challenges, including supporting war-affected communities and facing increased domestic calls for disarmament.
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Lebanon’s newly elected President Joseph Aoun has reinforced the government’s stance on the issue, asserting that only the state should bear arms, a statement widely interpreted as a reference to Hezbollah’s military capabilities. International donors have also conditioned support to Lebanon on decisive government action to reduce Hezbollah’s influence.
Hezbollah had launched its offensive following the Hamas attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, declaring solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The confrontation triggered a widespread Israeli military campaign, leading to the deaths of approximately 4,000 people in Lebanon, many of them civilians, and the displacement of over 1.2 million residents.
According to the BBC, Israel said its military objective was to create conditions for the return of about 60,000 Israeli residents displaced from northern communities and to push Hezbollah away from the border region.
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