Israel responded with airstrikes on Hezbollah targets to rocket fire from Lebanon
Kyiv • UNN
The IDF has begun airstrikes on Hezbollah targets following a rocket attack on Metula. Israel holds the Lebanese government responsible for security on its territory.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began launching airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after a morning rocket attack, UNN writes, citing The Times of Israel.
Details
"The Israel Defense Forces says it has begun launching airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon," the statement said.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the Israel Defense Forces to strike "dozens of terrorist targets" in Lebanon in response to this morning's rocket attack on Metula, their offices said.
"The Lebanese government is responsible for everything on its territory. Israel will not allow harm to its citizens and sovereignty, and will work in every way to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens and northern communities. The Israel Defense Forces is ready for any order," the statement said.
Israel had previously warned that it would "respond harshly" after a rocket attack from Lebanon - as the BBC writes, the first since a bilateral ceasefire agreement came into effect in November.
On Saturday morning, sirens were heard in the northern Israeli city of Metula, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that three rockets had been intercepted. No casualties have been reported.
The Lebanese Prime Minister has asked the military to take measures to prevent the country from being drawn "into a new war."
However, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said that "the state of Lebanon is responsible" for upholding the ceasefire agreement that ended 14 months of fighting with Hezbollah, a Lebanese armed group backed by Iran.
Addition
The truce, the BBC writes, has been fragile, with Israel carrying out almost daily airstrikes on what it describes as Hezbollah targets, and said the attacks would continue to hamper the group's rearmament. In addition, Israeli forces still occupy five locations in southern Lebanon, which the Lebanese government says is a violation of the country's sovereignty and the ceasefire agreement, which called for the withdrawal of Israeli troops.
Israel argues that the Lebanese army has not yet fully deployed in these areas and that it must remain in these locations to ensure the safety of its border communities.
