1 month ago
29
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Monday that Israel would respond “strongly” after Hezbollah launched rockets at a watchtower, the first time the group has attacked Israel since a ceasefire came into effect last week.
Hezbollah launched two rockets near a watchtower in the occupied Shebaa farms on Monday. They landed in an open area and caused no injuries. In a statement, the group said the attack on the watchtowers was an “initial warning defensive response” against “repeated violations” by Israel of the ceasefire agreement.
Israel has carried out several airstrikes in Lebanon since Wednesday, killing at least three people in what it said were strikes on Hezbollah elements violating the ceasefire. Israeli media reported on Sunday that France, which is supposed to supervise the implementation of the deal, had accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement 52 times since its establishment.
The resumption of tit-for-tat strikes in south Lebanon and north Israel have caused concern that fully fledged fighting between Hezbollah and Israel could resume just five days after a ceasefire was announced.
The ceasefire mandates that Israeli troops leave south Lebanon and Hezbollah’s fighters vacate the area south of the Litani River, about 18 miles north of the Israel-Lebanon border, within 60 days. The deal ended 13 months of fighting that began after Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel on 8 October 2023 “in solidarity” with Hamas’s attack a day prior.
In Lebanon, fighting has had a heavy toll, with almost 4,000 people killed by Israeli strikes, more than 1 million people displaced and £6.7bn in damages over the last 13 months. Residents of south Lebanon had just began to return to their homes this week and begin repairs. In north Israel, more than 60,000 people remain displaced by Hezbollah rockets.
A key point of contention in the ceasefire has revolved around Israel’s right to unilaterally enforce what it deems to be violations of the truce. Israel has sought assurances from the US that it could take action against Hezbollah on its own if the Lebanese army fails to stop Hezbollah from acting in south Lebanon.
Hezbollah has said that Israel does not have the right to carry out attacks in Lebanon or fly its aircraft in Lebanese airspace, saying this would be an encroachment of Lebanese sovereignty. The Hezbollah MP, Hassan Fadlallah, said on Wednesday that the group is ready to respond if Israel violates the truce, saying the ceasefire agreement recognises “the right of the two parties to self-defence”.
