Israel launched airstrikes on multiple locations in Lebanon on Saturday in retaliation for a rocket attack, killing six people in the most intense exchange of fire since its ceasefire with Hezbollah began nearly four months ago.
The escalation has raised concerns over whether the fragile truce will hold, just days after Israel relaunched its war against Hamas in Gaza. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, denied responsibility for the rocket attack, stating that it remains committed to the ceasefire.
Israel Strikes Dozens of Targets
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the military was ordered to strike “dozens of targets” in Lebanon. The Israeli army reported that six rockets were launched toward the border town of Metula, with three crossing into Israeli territory before being intercepted. However, the military said it could not confirm which group was responsible for the attack.
In response, Israel bombed Hezbollah command centers and several rocket launchers.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that an Israeli airstrike on the southern village of Touline killed five people, including a child, and injured 10 others, among them two children. Another strike in the coastal city of Tyre—marking the first such attack since the ceasefire—killed one person and wounded seven others. An additional strike in Hawsh al-Sayed Ali, near the Syrian border, left five people injured.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called on the country’s military to take all necessary measures in the south but emphasized that Lebanon does not want a return to war.
Background: Ceasefire and Continued Clashes
Hezbollah began attacking Israel the day after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, assault on Israel sparked the war in Gaza. By September, the conflict escalated into an all-out war, with Israel conducting waves of airstrikes that killed most of Hezbollah’s senior leadership. The fighting resulted in more than 4,000 deaths in Lebanon and displaced around 60,000 Israelis.
Wounded children overwhelm Gaza hospital amid relentless Israeli airstrikes
Under the ceasefire deal, Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from all Lebanese territory by late January, but the deadline was extended to February 18. Despite this, Israel has remained in five locations inside Lebanon near Israeli border communities. In the meantime, Israel has continued airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon, citing Hezbollah as its target, and has carried out drone attacks that have killed several members of the group.
Lebanon has appealed to the United Nations to pressure Israel to withdraw completely. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon expressed alarm over the recent escalation and urged all parties to avoid jeopardizing the progress made under the ceasefire.
Israel Intensifies Gaza Offensive
The airstrikes on Lebanon came just a day after Israel announced plans to intensify operations in Gaza until Hamas releases the remaining 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive.
On Friday night, Israeli strikes killed at least nine people, including three children, in a house in Gaza City, according to Al-Ahli Hospital.
“Rubble and glass started falling on us,” said Sameh al-Mashharawi, who lost his brother in the attack. His young nephew, 12-year-old Samir al-Mashharawi, was left mourning his parents and siblings, his head and wrists bandaged as he sat crying in the back of a truck.
The Israeli military has issued new evacuation warnings on social media for Palestinians in three neighborhoods west of Gaza City, signaling further assaults.
Israeli forces have killed around 600 Palestinians since resuming the war on Tuesday. The blockade on food, fuel, and humanitarian aid to Gaza’s 2 million residents remains in place, part of Israel’s strategy to pressure Hamas in ceasefire negotiations.
The international community has strongly condemned the renewed attacks.
Tensions Rise Over Shin Bet Chief’s Dismissal
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets Saturday to protest the government’s handling of hostage negotiations and its decision to fire Ronen Bar, the head of Israel’s Shin Bet internal security service. Demonstrators also called for new elections.
Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 40, Say Hospitals
Israel’s Supreme Court temporarily halted Bar’s dismissal pending an appeal, with the attorney general ruling that the government has no legal basis for the move. Netanyahu, however, insisted that Bar “will not remain the head of the Shin Bet” and declared, “Israel will remain a democratic state.” He claimed his lack of confidence in Bar predated the agency’s investigation into alleged illicit ties between several Netanyahu aides and Qatar.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid has called for a nationwide tax rebellion and general strike if the government defies the court ruling, saying, “If this happens, the entire country needs to grind to a halt.”
Source: With input from agency