Israeli military on Saturday targeted southern Lebanon with artillery and airstrikes in response to rockets fired into Israel, reported the Associated Press (AP).
The Israeli strikes mark the heaviest exchange since the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel came into force in November 2024. The Lebanese group denied responsibility for the rocket attack, reiterating its commitment to the ceasefire deal.
Rockets Hit Israel
Early on Saturday, rockets were launched from Lebanon into northern Israel, with no causalities reported. The Israeli military said it had intercepted two rockets fired at the Israeli town of Metula. Israel vowed to respond “severely” to the attack, the second since the ceasefire took effect.
In the light of this, the office of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said it ordered the army to “act forcefully against dozens of targets in Lebanon.”
Striking Lebanon
In a statement, the Israeli military said it had struck Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon, hitting dozens of the group’s rocket launchers and a command center where Hezbollah had been operating.
The Lebanese state news agency (NNA) reported a series of Israeli airstrikes and artillery barrages across many regions in the country’s south.
The Israeli strikes in the southern village of Touline killed two people, including a child, and wounded 8 others, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
Lebanese Concerns
The Lebanese group denied any link to the rocket attacks, saying it remains committed to the ceasefire agreement, Reuters reported. No other group has claimed responsibility so far.
Following the recent developments, Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, asked the Lebanese military “to take all necessary security and military measures to reaffirm that only the state holds the authority over war and peace,” according to NNA.
He also warned of the dire consequences of renewed military activity on Lebanon’s southern border, saying that the county does not want to return to war.
Moreover, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expressed its concern over the border violence, according to Reuters. “Any further escalation of this volatile situation could have serious consequences for the region,” it said.
Fragile Ceasefire
Against the backdrop of the Israeli ongoing war in Gaza, tensions between the Lebanese-based group, Hezbollah, and Israel escalated, resulting in an intensified fighting that led to an Israeli ground incursion into southern Lebanon.
On November 27, 2024, a ceasefire took effect between Hezbollah and Israel to end the 14-month fighting between both sides.
Under the ceasefire agreement, brokered by the US and France, both sides have an initial 60-day halt in fighting, during which Hezbollah ends its armed presence in southern Lebanon while Israel gradually withdraws its troops to the other side of the border.
The deadline of the Israeli withdrawal was then extended to February 18 by agreement between Lebanon and Israel. However, Israel has stayed in five locations in Lebanon and has launched dozens of airstrikes and drone attacks on southern and eastern Lebanon, according to AP.
Lebanon has urged the UN to pressure Israel to fully withdraw from the country, calling its presence a violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement.
