Israel strikes Lebanon after first rocket attack since ceasefire

Smoke billows from the site of Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon

                                                                            
 

Israel has launched strikes on dozens of Hezbollah rocket launchers and a command center in southern Lebanon following rocket fire into Israeli territory—the first such attack since November’s ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he had ordered the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to "act forcefully against dozens of terror targets."

Lebanon’s state media reported that one person was killed in the Israeli strikes.

The IDF confirmed that three rockets were intercepted over the northern Israeli town of Metula on Saturday morning, with no reported injuries. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and Lebanon's prime minister has warned against the country being drawn “into a new war.” The ceasefire agreement had ended 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese armed group.

The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, expressed alarm over the situation, urging both sides to “uphold their commitments” to prevent further escalation.

Reports from Lebanon indicate that Israeli artillery targeted several locations in the south.

The Lebanese army launched a search operation following the rocket attack and discovered three primitive rocket launchers, which it dismantled.

The ceasefire remains fragile, as Israel has continued near-daily airstrikes on what it claims are Hezbollah targets and has stated that such attacks will persist to prevent the group from rearming.

Additionally, Israeli forces are still occupying five locations in southern Lebanon—something the Lebanese government considers a violation of national sovereignty and a breach of the ceasefire deal, which required Israel to withdraw its troops.

Israel argues that the Lebanese military has not yet fully deployed to those areas and that Israeli forces must remain there to secure its border communities.

Saturday’s rocket attack is likely to increase pressure on the Lebanese government and may serve as evidence, according to Israel, that the Lebanese army does not have full control over border areas.

Despite Israel’s continued military operations, Hezbollah has not retaliated. The group is facing significant internal challenges, including the financial strain of supporting communities affected by the conflict and increasing political pressure to disarm.

                                                                               

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun, who took office in January, has stated that only the state should possess weapons—a statement widely interpreted as a call to limit Hezbollah’s military power. Lebanon’s international partners have made clear that financial assistance to the country is contingent on the government taking steps to curb Hezbollah’s influence.

Hezbollah launched its offensive against Israel on October 8, 2023, the day after Hamas attacked southern Israel, stating that its actions were in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The conflict escalated into an intense Israeli air campaign across Lebanon, the targeted assassinations of Hezbollah’s senior leaders, and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon.

The offensive resulted in approximately 4,000 deaths in Lebanon—including many civilians—and displaced more than 1.2 million people.

Israel’s stated objective in its military campaign against Hezbollah was to facilitate the return of roughly 60,000 residents displaced from its northern communities due to Hezbollah attacks and to push the group away from border areas.

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