Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least nine people, according to Lebanese authorities, marking the deadliest day since a US-brokered ceasefire came into effect last week. The strikes targeted areas near the Israeli border and were allegedly in response to repeated Hezbollah attacks.
Three people were injured, but no one was hurt by the projectiles fired by Hezbollah, which responded to the Israeli strikes with its own missile attacks on an open area. Israel’s military vowed to retaliate against what it called a “serious violation of the ceasefire.”
The US and France have warned Israel that it may have violated the ceasefire terms, citing over 100 instances of breaches since the truce took effect last week. The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon reported that tensions were high as both sides accused each other of breaching the deal.
In a statement, Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli military positions “in light of the repeated violations initiated by the Israeli enemy of the ceasefire agreement.” Israel responded by striking areas held by Hezbollah militants south of the Litani river.
A senior Israeli official stated that the military intends to aggressively enforce the ceasefire against any potential breaches by Hezbollah. US officials maintained that the truce had been successful, but acknowledged ongoing reports of alleged violations.
The US and France set up a mechanism to address reports of breaches and deal with them through established channels. The 60-day ceasefire agreement stipulates a withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters from areas south of the Litani river and Israeli ground forces from Lebanese territory.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/02/middleeast/lebanon-hezbollah-israel-projectiles-ceasefire-intl-latam/index.html