Israel strikes Lebanon after first rocket attack since ceasefire

Following the launch of several rockets from Lebanon into Israel, Israel launched multiple airstrikes on Lebanon, marking the most severe outbreak of violence since the ceasefire agreement took effect last November.

The Israeli military stated that they attacked dozens of rocket launchers and a command center in Hezbollah-controlled areas of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah is an Iran-backed armed organization and political group. The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health reported that the airstrikes resulted in seven deaths, including one child, and forty injuries.

Multiple armed groups, including Hezbollah and various Palestinian factions, operate in Lebanon, and no organization has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Hours after the first round of airstrikes, the Israeli military conducted a second round of nighttime attacks on targets, including what they described as command centers, infrastructure, and weapons storage facilities located in Lebanon.

The rocket attacks from Lebanon occurred days after Israel intensified its offensive against Hamas, Hezbollah's ally in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military stated that they intercepted three rockets over the northern Israeli town of Metula, causing no casualties. Hezbollah stated that they were not involved in the attacks and would continue to abide by the ceasefire agreement. The Lebanese military stated that they had dismantled "three makeshift rocket launchers" in the south, and the country's defense minister stated that an investigation into the attacks had been launched.

These developments have put pressure on the fragile ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States and France. The agreement ended more than a year of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Under the terms of the ceasefire, the Lebanese military would deploy thousands of soldiers in the south of the country to prevent attacks on Israel by armed groups. Hezbollah was required to withdraw its fighters and weapons, and the Israeli military would withdraw from positions it had occupied during the war.

However, Israel has conducted near-daily airstrikes on what they describe as Hezbollah targets, stating that they will continue the attacks to prevent the group from rearming. The Israeli military still occupies five locations in southern Lebanon, which the Lebanese government says violates its sovereignty and the agreement. Israel states that the Lebanese military has not fully deployed to these areas and that they need to continue to garrison these locations to ensure the safety of their border communities.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who took office in January of this year, stated that only the state should possess weapons, which was seen as a comment directed at Hezbollah's arsenal. He condemned "attempts to drag Lebanon into a cycle of violence," while Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stated that the escalation risked "dragging the country into another war." The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stated that they were "appalled by the potential escalation of violence," urging both Israel and Lebanon to "uphold their commitments."

Hezbollah suffered heavy losses in the conflict with Israel: many leaders were assassinated, hundreds of fighters were killed, and a large number of weapons depots were destroyed. The group faces the enormous challenge of providing financial assistance to war-affected communities, as well as pressure from the opposition to disarm. Lebanon's international partners have stated that they will only help the country if the government takes action to rein in Hezbollah, the most powerful organization in Lebanon.

Hezbollah launched operations the day after the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, saying its actions were in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The protracted conflict escalated, leading to heavy Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon. The offensive resulted in approximately 4,000 deaths in Lebanon, including many civilians, and displaced more than 1.2 million residents.

The stated goal of Israel's war against Hezbollah is to allow approximately 60,000 residents displaced from the country's northern communities by the group's attacks to return to their homes and to clear the group from areas along the border.