Israel says it has been attacking Hezbollah’s targets in southern Lebanon since the ceasefire contract came into effect in November, after the rocket was fired by Israel from there.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) “instructed them to act forcefully against dozens of Lebanon’s terrorist targets.”
The Lebanese state news agency said one person was killed on the strike.
The IDF previously said three rockets were intercepted in a town in northern Israel on Saturday morning. There were no injuries. No group has ever admitted to fire the Rockets. The Lebanese Prime Minister warned his country, dragged on “a new war.”
The ceasefire contract concluded 14 months of the fight against Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
Unifil’s Lebanon UN peacekeeping forces said it was “wary of possible escalations of violence,” urging both Israel and Lebanon to “support their commitment.”
Local Lebanon reports said the artillery fired in several locations south of the country.
The Lebanese army said it had discovered the dismantled “three primitive rocket launchers” and carried out a search operation.
The ceasefire was vulnerable. Israel has carried out almost daily airstrikes on what it describes as a target for Hezbollah, indicating that the attacks will continue to hinder the group’s revival.
In addition, Israeli forces still occupy five locations in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese government has said it is a violation of the sovereignty of the country that requires the withdrawal of Israeli forces and a violation of the ceasefire contract.
Israel says Lebanese forces have not yet been fully deployed in those regions and need to stay at those points to ensure the security of border communities.
Saturday’s rocket attack on Israel will put further pressure on the Lebanese government and will likely be used as evidence of Israel that Lebanese forces have no complete control of the border area.
Despite Israel’s constant attacks, Hezbollah has not responded. The group faces the major challenge of providing economic aid to war-affected communities and faces pressure from the enemy to disarm them.
Lebanese President Joseph Orn, who came to power in January, said the country should have weapons, which is considered a reference to Hezbollah’s armory. Lebanon’s international partners say they will only help the country if the government acts to curb Hezbollah’s power.
Hezbollah said it launched its campaign the day after Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and is acting in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The longstanding conflict escalated, leading to Israeli fierce air campaigns across Lebanon, assassination of senior Hezbollah leaders and an invasion of the ground in southern Lebanon.
The attack killed around 4,000 people in Lebanon, including many civilians, and led to the evacuation of more than 1.2 million residents.
Israel’s goal in the war with Hezbollah was to allow the return of around 60,000 residents who were expelled from the country’s northern communities due to group attacks and remove it from areas along the border.
