Israel said it struck targets in Lebanon on Monday night after vowing to retaliate for a Hezbollah attack on a military post, with both sides accusing each other of violating a ceasefire last week. .
According to the country’s Ministry of Public Health, at least nine people were killed in Israeli attacks on two villages in southern Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had attacked Hezbollah targets and infrastructure “across Lebanon”, and reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire agreement.
Hezbollah said it was responding to Israeli “violations” and said it had carried out a “defensive warning” attack, firing mortars at an Israeli military position in an Israeli-occupied area .
Israel said there were no casualties in Hezbollah attacks on the Mount Dov area – a disputed area on the Israel-Lebanon border known internationally as Shebaa Farms.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the Hezbollah attack as a “serious violation of the ceasefire”, vowing that Israel would “respond strongly”.
When the ceasefire was first announced, Netanyahu said his country would not hesitate to attack if Hezbollah violated the terms.
Monday’s violence was a sign of the fragility of the recently agreed ceasefire that ended 13 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Last week, the US and France said the deal would “end fighting in Lebanon and protect Israel from the threat from Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations operating from Lebanon”.
Hezbollah has 60 days to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon while Israeli forces must withdraw from the area within the same period.
