Israel Strikes Hezbollah Targets After Fire From Within Lebanon

Israel vowed a forceful response to rocket fire from Lebanon on Saturday as a fragile four-month truce with Hezbollah showed new signs of strain.   

The Israel Defense Forces said it’s striking Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon after Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the military to attack “dozens of terror targets.” 

Earlier on Saturday, the IDF reported intercepting three projectiles which crossed into Israel from Lebanese territory near the border town of Metula. No injuries were reported. 

Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah started a ceasefire in late November, ending a year-long war. The truce has largely held, though Lebanon and Israel have accused each other of breaking the terms. 

“The Lebanese government bears responsibility for any firing from its territory,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. “We will not allow the reality of firing from Lebanon on the Galilee communities.”   

Lebanese President Nawaf Salam warned in a statement against renewed operations on the southern border, while President Joseph Aoun, condemned attempts to drag Lebanon back into a cycle of violence.

Lebanon’s army said it had discovered and dismantled “three primitive rocket launchers” in the country’s south.