Israel strikes Lebanon in retaliation to rockets fired at Israeli targets

Beirut: Israel struck Lebanon on Saturday in retaliation for rockets targeting Israel, killing two, including a child, in the heaviest exchange of fire since the ceasefire with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Earlier, rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel, for the second time since December, sparking concern about whether the fragile ceasefire would hold. A Hezbollah official told The Associated Press Saturday that it was not responsible for the attack, calling it “primitive,” speaking on condition of anonymity as they are not authorised to speak to the media. Israel had said that it would respond “severely” to the attack from Lebanon early

Saturday morning, when rockets were fired into northern Israel. Israel’s army said the intercepted rockets targeted the Israeli town of Metula.

Lebanon’s health ministry said Saturday that the strike in the southern village of Touline also wounded eight others.

Hezbollah began launching rockets, drones and missiles into Israel the day after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza ignited the war there. The Israel-Hezbollah conflict boiled over into an all-out war in September as Israel carried out massive waves of airstrikes and killed most of the militant group’s senior leaders. The fighting killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon.

Under the ceasefire reached in November, Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from all Lebanese territory by late January. The deadline

was then extended to February 18 by agreement between Lebanon and Israel. But since then, Israel has remained in five locations in Lebanon and has carried out dozens of airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon, saying it attacked Hezbollah. Lebanon has appealed to

the UN to pressure Israel to

fully withdraw from the country.

Israel’s Prime Minister’s office said Saturday it instructed the army to act forcefully against dozens of targets in Lebanon, adding: “Israel will not allow any harm to its citizens and sovereignty.” Israel’s army said

Saturday it was carrying out strikes on Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon and that it struck dozens of the group’s rocket launchers and a command centre where Hezbollah was operating.

Lebanon’s PM Nawaf Salam asked the Lebanese military to take all necessary measures in the south but said the country did not want to return

to war. The UNIFIL said it

was alarmed at the possible escalation of violence and urged all parties to avoid jeopardising the progress made, saying further escalation could have serious consequences for the region.