Israeli artillery and airstrikes targeted southern Lebanon on Saturday after Israel reported intercepting rockets fired from across the border. The attacks resulted in the deaths of at least eight people and placed a fragile truce at risk, which had ended a year-long conflict between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
That war had been the deadliest spillover from the Gaza conflict, with Israel’s intense military campaign eliminating Hezbollah’s top commanders, many fighters, and a significant portion of its weaponry after months of cross-border clashes.
Hezbollah denied involvement in Saturday’s rocket attacks, stating it had “no link” to the launches and remained committed to the ceasefire. No group has claimed responsibility for the rocket fire.
An Israeli official said the source of the rocket attack was not yet confirmed. According to the official, six rockets were launched, three of which crossed into Israel and were intercepted.
Two waves of Israeli strikes killed three people in Bint Jbeil and Touline, while five others were killed in Tyre, a port city in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s state news agency, which cited health authorities.
The exchanges on Saturday marked the first major escalation since Israel effectively abandoned a separate ceasefire with the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza. Both Hezbollah and Hamas are backed by Iran, Israel’s long-standing adversary.
Later, Israel’s military announced a second round of strikes targeting Hezbollah positions.
“We expect Lebanon to uphold its end of the agreement,” said Ophir Falk, foreign policy adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an interview with Reuters.
“The IDF will take all necessary measures to enforce the ceasefire and ensure that our civilians can return home safely and securely,” Falk added.
Israel’s military stated early Saturday that it had intercepted three rockets launched from a Lebanese district approximately six kilometers (four miles) north of the border toward the Israeli town of Metula. This marked the second cross-border attack since the US-brokered ceasefire in November, which had halted hostilities.
In response, Netanyahu instructed the military to “act forcefully against dozens of terror targets in Lebanon.”
Israel’s military reported striking multiple Hezbollah rocket launchers and a command center in southern Lebanon used by the group’s militants.
Lebanon’s state news agency confirmed Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling in the country’s south, including border towns and areas up to eight kilometers inside Lebanese territory.
There were no reports of casualties in Israel.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, health officials reported that five Palestinians, including a child, were killed by Israeli fire in Beit Lahiya and Gaza City in the north of the enclave.
The Israeli military claimed its forces identified a group of militants in a vehicle moving toward its troops in northern Gaza, posing a threat, and subsequently launched an attack on them.
An Israeli airstrike in Rafah, a city near Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, killed two Palestinians, according to local medics. The Israeli military confirmed it had struck militants in the area.
UN Concerned Over Border Violence
Under the November ceasefire deal, Hezbollah was to be disarmed in southern Lebanon, Israeli ground forces were to withdraw, and Lebanese army troops were to take control of the area.
The agreement stipulates that Lebanon’s government is responsible for dismantling all military infrastructure in the south and seizing unauthorized weapons.
President Joseph Aoun ordered the Lebanese army to secure “any violation” that could jeopardize Lebanon’s stability. The Lebanese military reported finding and dismantling three “primitive rocket launchers” in the south.
Netanyahu stated that Israel held the Lebanese government responsible for “everything taking place within its territory” and that Israel would not tolerate threats to its citizens or sovereignty.
The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon expressed concern over the “volatile” situation, warning that further escalation could have “serious consequences for the region.”
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam cautioned about the potential renewal of military operations in the south, emphasizing, “All security and military measures must be taken to demonstrate that Lebanon makes decisions on matters of war and peace.”
The ceasefire had brought an end to Israel’s intense bombardment and ground operations in Lebanon, as well as Hezbollah’s daily rocket barrages into Israel. However, both sides have accused each other of not fully adhering to the agreement.
Israel claims that Hezbollah continues to maintain military infrastructure in the south, while Lebanon and Hezbollah argue that Israel is still occupying Lebanese territory by conducting airstrikes and keeping its forces stationed at five hilltop positions along the border.
