The Lebanese group Hezbollah fired on Sunday barrages of rockets into Israel, some of which reached Tel Aviv, in one of the group’s heaviest strikes in months.
Meanwhile, media reports suggested that Israel and Hezbollah are very close to reaching a ceasefire deal, after a fierce fighting that extended for over a year and saw an uptick in hostilities in the past two months.
Hezbollah Rockets in Israel
On Sunday, Hezbollah fired nearly 250 rockets and other projectiles into Israel, some of which landed near the Tel Aviv area. The strike left 7 people wounded and destroyed or burned houses, Reuters reported citing the Israeli military.
The Lebanese group announced it had fired precision missiles at two military sites in Tel Aviv and the surrounding area. The Israeli police said that rocket barrages impacted several sites in the area of Petah Tikvah, on the eastern side of Tel Aviv, causing minor injuries to some people.
Moreover, the Israeli military said it had intercepted many of Hezbollah’s missiles. However, some houses were burned and destroyed due to a direct hit on a neighborhood.
Deadly Strikes on Beirut
Hezbollah’s attack came in response to Israeli strikes on Beirut. On Saturday, Israel launched one of the deadliest and most destructive strikes on central Beirut. The Israeli military also struck southern Beirut suburb (Dahiyeh) on Sunday, saying it had targeted 12 Hezbollah command centers there.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said on Sunday that the death toll increased to 29, noting that Saturday strikes killed a total of 84 people. This raises the death toll of the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel to 3,745 people since October 2023. The conflict has also displaced over 1 million Lebanese, nearly quarter of the country’s population.
On the other hand, Hezbollah rockets killed around 90 Israeli soldiers and 50 civilians, and displaced about 60,000 people from northern Israel.
Hostilities between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah have been on the rise since the start of the war in Gaza. In September, fighting between both sides intensified, with Israel killing most of Hezbollah’s commanders and launching an offensive against southern Lebanon.
Pushing for a Ceasefire
Since Israel’s ground invasion of southern Lebanon in October 2024, negotiations have been underway for a ceasefire deal. Last week, the US Envoy, Amos Hochstein, indicated that there was progress in negotiations during a visit to Beirut.
Meanwhile, the EU Foreign Policy Chief, Josep Borrell, called on Sunday for pressure on Israel’s government to accept a US ceasefire proposal. After a meeting with Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, and Lebanese parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, in Beirut, Borrell said: “We must pressure the Israeli government and maintain the pressure on Hezbollah to accept the US proposal for a ceasefire.”
However, the top EU diplomat later said that he did not “see the Israeli government interested clearly in reaching an agreement for a cease-fire,” suggesting that Israel was seeking new conditions, according to the Associated Press (AP).
The proposed agreement would require Hezbollah fighters and Israeli troops to withdraw from southern Lebanon below the Litani River, in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Ceasefire Deal ‘Close’
Israel and Hezbollah are nearing a ceasefire agreement to end the conflict, Axios reported citing two senior Israeli officials and two US officials. The draft deal includes a 60-day transition period that involves Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon, the deployment of Lebanese army in border areas, and Hezbollah’s withdrawal north of Litani River.
On Sunday, Netanyahu convened his security cabinet to discuss the ceasefire proposal. Israeli officials indicated that the deal was moving in a positive direction, while two senior US officials said the parties were getting close to a deal, but it was not completed.
The US and Israeli officials said that the ceasefire agreement was on the verge of completion on Thursday when the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his former Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant.
The news sparked Netanyahu’s anger, especially after the French Foreign Ministry said that Paris would comply with the ICC’s ruling. As a result, Israel refused to accept France as a member of the oversight committee to monitor implementation of the agreement.
On Saturday, Hochstein told the Israeli ambassador to the US, Mike Herzog, that he would withdraw as a mediator if Israel did not respond positively to the ceasefire deal in the coming days, Axios cited a source familiar with the matter.
