Hezbollah Launches Retaliatory Rocket Attack on Northern Israel After Deadly Strike in South Lebanon

Hezbollah launched “dozens” of rockets into northern Israel on Thursday. The attack was reported to be a direct response to an Israeli airstrike that had taken place earlier in the southern region of Lebanon. The attack had resulted in the death of a Hezbollah fighter, according to the group.

In a significant development in the cross border hostilities amidst Israel and Palestine, Hezbollah has reportedly launched several dozens of rockets into the Northern region of Israel. This exchange of fire comes amidst heightened tensions following a fierce speech by Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, the day before.

These strings of attacks one after another began when Hamas had launched an attack on Israel on October 7. The attack had intiated the current conflict in the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in the near-daily exchanges of fire that have occurred between Israel and Hezbollah, a powerful Lebanese organization allied with Hamas. The latest incident has exacerbated fears of a broader regional war.

Hezbollah stated that its fighters targeted an Israeli military barracks with a barrage of Katyusha rockets in retaliation for what it described as the “assassination” carried out by Israel in the village of Deir Kifa. Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that one person was killed by an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in the same area. Hezbollah had also previously confirmed that one of its fighters died in the attack.

The Israeli military acknowledged the airstrike, claiming it eliminated a Hezbollah operative responsible for orchestrating and executing attacks against Israel. The operative was reportedly commanding Hezbollah ground forces in the Jouaiyya area of southern Lebanon. Additionally, Israeli fighter jets targeted a Hezbollah surface-to-air missile launcher deemed a threat to aircraft operating over Lebanon.

The ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have intensified recently, with the Israeli military announcing that plans for an offensive in Lebanon have been approved. This comes in the wake of Nasrallah’s threats, including a warning that “no place” in Israel would be spared in the event of an all-out war against his group. He also threatened Cyprus, warning against opening its airports to Israel.

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In response, Lebanon’s foreign ministry emphasized the longstanding diplomatic cooperation between Lebanon and Cyprus, underscoring ongoing high-level consultations. Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib highlighted Cyprus’s positive role in supporting regional stability during discussions with his Cypriot counterpart.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati discussed the situation in Lebanon and the broader region, reaffirming their bilateral relations. Meanwhile, the United Nations’ special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, called for an immediate cessation of hostilities during her visit to UN peacekeepers in the Lebanese border town of Naqura. She stressed the importance of sustainable solutions in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah and mandated that only the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers be armed in southern Lebanon.

The cross-border violence since October has resulted in significant casualties. According to an AFP tally, at least 479 people have been killed in Lebanon, most of them fighters, but also including 93 civilians. In Israel, at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians have been reported killed in the northern region.