Beirut, Lebanon – Israel hit Lebanon on Saturday in retaliation for rockets directed to Israel, in the strongest exchange of fire from Alto El Fuego.
Previously, the rockets were triggered from Lebanon to Israel, for the second time since December, which caused a concern for the high fragile fire with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah would argue.
Israel had said on Saturday that he would “severely” respond to the attack from Lebanon at dawn on Saturday, when rockets were shot north of Israel. Israel’s army said the intercepted rockets attacked the Israeli city of Metula.
Hezbolá began to launch rockets, drones and missiles to Israel the day after Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, out of Gaza, turned on the war there. The conflict of Israel-Hezbollah became a total war in September when Israel carried out massive waves of air attacks and killed most of the main leaders of the militant group. The fight killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon and displaced about 60,000 Israelis.
Under the high the fire reached in November, the Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from the entire Lebanese territory at the end of January. The deadline then extended to February 18 by the agreement between Lebanon and Israel.
But since then, Israel has remained in five locations in Lebanon, in front of communities in northern Israel, and has carried out dozens of air attacks in the south and east of Lebanon, saying that he attacked Hezbollah. Lebanon has appealed to the UN to press Israel to completely retire from the country.
The Office of the Prime Minister of Israel said on Saturday that he instructed the army to act strongly against dozens of objectives in Lebanon, and added: “Israel will not allow any damage to its citizens and sovereignty.” Israel’s army said on Saturday that he was carrying out strikes in Hezbollah’s objectives in the south of Lebanon.
There were no immediate comments from Hezbollah.
In a statement, Lebanon’s prime minister Nawaf Salam asked the Lebanese army to take all necessary measures in the south, but said the country did not want to return to war.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, known as Unifil, said it was alarmed by the possible escalation of violence and urged all parties to avoid endangering the progress made, saying that a greater climb could have serious consequences for the region.
Israeli air attacks Libra Gaza
The attacks arrive a day after Israel said that he would carry out operations in Gaza “with an increasing intensity” until Hamas releases the 59 hostages he owns, 24 of which he believes herself alive. On Friday night, Israeli attacks killed at least nine people, including three children, in a house in the city of Gaza, according to Al-Ahly hospital, which received the bodies.
The Israel Army said that on Friday that their forces were planning new assaults in three neighborhoods west of the city of Gaza and issued warnings on social networks so that the Palestinians evacuate the areas.
Also on Friday, Israel exploded the only specialized hospital of cancer in the territory devastated by war. The Israeli army said he hit the Turkish Palestinian friendship hospital, accusing Hamas militants to operate on the site. Türkiye, which helped build and finance the hospital, said Israeli troops at one time used it as a base.
Around 600 Palestinians have been killed since Israel relaunched war earlier this week. Israel had already cut the supply of food, fuel and humanitarian aid to the approximately 2 million Palestinians from Gaza, with the aim of pressing Hamas for the Alto El Fuego negotiations.
The international community has condemned resume attacks. In a statement on Friday, the Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom, France and Germany described Israel’s strikes in Gaza, a dramatic step back. “We are horrified by the civil casualties and urgently demand an immediate return to a high fire,” they said in a joint statement.
The attack of militants led by Hamas in 2023 killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Most hostages have been released in high -fire or other agreements. The Israeli forces have rescued eight live hostages and recovered the bodies of more dozen.
The retaliation offensive of Israel has killed more than 49,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. He does not say how many were militants, but says that more than half of those killed were women and children. Israel says he has killed about 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.
