BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Sunday claimed it had fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel after Israeli strikes the day before left five dead in southern Lebanon, including three of the group’s members as tensions between Hezbollah and Israel have escalated.
The cross-border exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israel has been ongoing since the eruption of the Israel-Palestinian resistance group Hamas war on October 7.
Hezbollah stated that it targeted the Israeli village of Meron, located eight kilometers from the border, with “dozens of katyusha-type rockets.” Meron is home to a crucial air control base that Hezbollah has previously targeted.
Israel-Hezbollah Cross-Border Strikes
The group justified its actions as a response to Israeli attacks on Lebanese villages and civilian homes, particularly citing the targeting of a fighter’s home in Kherbet Selm the previous day.
In response to the rocket fire, the Israeli army reported intercepting a number of rockets and subsequently conducted airstrikes on Hezbollah infrastructure, including a military structure in Khirbet Selm.
The ongoing violence has resulted in a significant death toll, with at least 312 people killed in Lebanon since the beginning of cross-border hostilities, including 53 civilians. On the Israeli side, 10 soldiers and seven civilians have been killed.
Hezbollah has insisted that it will continue its attacks on Israel until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza, while Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has affirmed Israel’s determination to push Hezbollah out of southern Lebanon, either through force or diplomacy.
