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- Israel’s army retaliated against a rocket attack with airstrikes on several locations in Lebanon on Saturday.
- The strikes follow Israel’s announcement that it will intensify operations in Gaza until Hamas releases the 59 hostages it is holding, with 24 believed to be alive.
- Tens of thousands of Israelis also protested on Saturday, demanding the government negotiate a hostage deal and opposing the dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet internal security service.
Israel launched airstrikes in retention to a rocket attack on Saturday in Lebanon, resulting in six fatalities and marking the most intense exchange of fire since the ceasefire with Hezbollah began almost four months ago.
This exchange reignited concerns about the stability of the ceasefire, following Israel’s renewed conflict with the Iran-backed militant group Hamas in Gaza. Hezbollah denied involvement in the attack, affirming its commitment to the truce.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office directed the army to strongly respond to dozens of targets in Lebanon, where Hezbollah is based. Six rockets were launched toward Metula, with three entering Israel and being intercepted.
ISRAEL ORDERS IDF TO SEIZE MORE GAZA TERRITORY IF HAMAS DOESN’T RELEASE HOSTAGES
The army couldn’t confirm the identity of the organization responsible for the missile launch, stating that they targeted Hezbollah command centers and dozens of rocket launchers.
The airstrikes killed five individuals, including a child, and injured ten others in the Lebanese village of Touline, according to the National News Agency.
Additional airstrikes hit a garage in the coastal city of Tyre, marking the first attack on the city since the ceasefire, and another attack wounded five people in Hawsh al-Sayed Ali village near the Syria border.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, urged the country’s military to take necessary measures in the south but emphasized a desire to avoid war.
Hezbollah began launching rockets, drones, and missiles into Israel in response to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which sparked the conflict. The Israel-Hezbollah conflict escalated into full-scale war in September, resulting in significant casualties and displacements.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from Lebanese territory by late January. However, Israel remains in five locations in Lebanon, with ongoing airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah and continuing drone attacks.
Lebanon has appealed to the U.N. to pressure Israel to fully withdraw. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon expressed concerns about the increase in violence and called on all parties to preserve the progress made.
Israeli airstrikes pound Gaza
The strikes followed Israel’s announcement of increased intensity in Gaza operations until Hamas releases the hostages, with 24 thought to be alive.
Israeli strikes on Friday killed at least nine people, including three children, in a house in Gaza City, according to Al-Ahli Hospital.
Israel’s military affirmed plans for fresh assaults in three neighborhoods west of Gaza City and issued evacuation warnings on social media.
“Hamas, unfortunately, understands military pressure,” stated Ophir Falk, Netanyahu’s foreign policy advisor.
Around 600 Palestinians have been killed since Israel resumed the war. Israel had curtailed food, fuel, and humanitarian aid to Gaza’s Palestinians to pressure Hamas in ceasefire negotiations.
The international community has denounced the resumed attacks.
The 2023 attack by Hamas and its affiliates killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages and recovered the bodies of dozens more.
Israel’s retaliatory actions have resulted in over 49,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Uproar over Shin Bet chief
Tens of thousands of Israelis protested on Saturday, demanding the government negotiate a hostage deal and criticizing the dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet internal security service. They called for new elections.
The Supreme Court has temporarily halted Ronen Bar’s dismissal until an appeal is heard. Israel’s attorney general concluded that the Cabinet lacked legal grounds to dismiss him.
Netanyahu stated that Bar “will not remain the head of the Shin Bet” and affirmed that “Israel will remain a democratic state.” He argued that his lack of confidence in Bar predates the Shin Bet investigation into illicit relations between several of his aides and Qatar.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid threatened a tax rebellion and general strike if the government defies the court ruling, stating, “If this happens, the entire country needs to halt.”
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-hezbollah-truce-jeopardy-after-rocket-barrage-kills-6
