Heavy Israeli airstrikes targeted Lebanon after several improvised rockets were fired from southern Lebanon into Israel for the first time since the ceasefire began. The Israeli army claims to have destroyed a command center and dozens of rocket launchers operated by Hezbollah.
Hezbollah has officially denied any involvement in the attack, stating that the party remains fully committed to the ceasefire. The makeshift and primitive nature of the rockets seem to back up the fact they were not launched by Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, Israel, which has reportedly violated the ceasefire more than 1,500 times through airstrikes and limited incursions into southern Lebanon, claims that the current developments pose a threat to the ceasefire brokered by France and the U.S.
Hezbollah has kept its end of the ceasefire, we have not observed any military actions by Hezbollah South of the Litani River since November. We call on Israel to exercise restraint and stick to its end of the agreement.
United Nations
Lebanon's Ministry of Health announced that three civilians, including a child, were killed in the airstrikes, while eight others were injured. Additionally, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who has previously stated that only the Lebanese state should possess weapons, condemned the attacks, calling them "an attempt to drag Lebanon into a cycle of violence." Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also warned that the strikes "carry the risk of plunging the country into another war.
Hezbollah, which suffered significant losses in its last ground war against Israel, is actively seeking to avoid any confrontation or clashes with the Israeli army and remains committed to respecting the ceasefire agreement. The previous war resulted in the deaths of 4,000 civilians and the displacement of 1.2 million people, while also causing severe material and financial devastation. These factors all indicate that Lebanon is not prepared for another war with Israel.