Israel launched airstrikes on multiple locations in Lebanon on Saturday, retaliating against a rocket attack by Lebanon. At least 6 are reported to be dead in the most intense cross-border exchange since its ceasefire with Hezbollah, which began nearly four months ago.
The strike on the southern village of Touline killed five people, including a child, and ten others were left wounded. Another strike in the coastal city of Tyre killed one person and injured seven more. A separate strike on the village of Hawsh al-Sayed Ali, near the Syrian border, left five wounded, as per Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA).
The Israeli army reported that Lebanon had fired six rockets towards the border town of Metula, three of which crossed into Israeli territory before being intercepted. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office ordered the military to respond against dozens of targets in Lebanon, where the Iran-backed militant group is based.
The army said that it “cannot confirm the identity of the organization that fired the rockets,” but that it had struck Hezbollah command centres and multiple rocket launchers.
The escalation raised concerns over whether the fragile truce will hold, just days after Israel resumed its war against Hamas in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah denied responsibility for the rocket attack, saying it remained committed to the ceasefire.
Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam urged the military to take all necessary measures in the south but stressed that Lebanon does not seek a return to war.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah reignited after Hamas’ 7 October attack on Israel. The fighting escalated into all-out war by September, with Israeli airstrikes killing several senior Hezbollah leaders. Over 4,000 people have died in Lebanon, and roughly 60,000 Israelis have been displaced as a result.
Under the ceasefire deal, Israeli forces were to withdraw from Lebanese territory by late January, but the deadline was extended to 18 February.
Lebanon urged the United Nations to pressure Israel to complete its withdrawal. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon expressed concerns over the latest violence and called on all sides to prevent further escalation.
The latest strikes come amid Israel’s renewed military campaign in Gaza.
In another Israeli strike on Friday night, at least nine people including three children, were killed, in Gaza City, according to Al-Ahli Hospital. Israeli officials said that they will continue operations in Gaza “with increasing intensity” until Hamas frees the remaining hostages. Netanyahu’s foreign policy advisor Ophir Falk told news agency AP, “Hamas, unfortunately, understands military pressure.”
Since Israel resumed its offensive last week, around 600 Palestinians have been killed. The country had already cut off the food, fuel and humanitarian aid to almost 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, in order to pressurise Hamas into negotiations.
The death toll in Gaza has now surpassed 49,000, according to the health ministry, which said more than half of those killed were women and children.
Israel, however, claimed eliminating around 20,000 militants though it has not yet provided evidence.