Politics Israel: Rockets intercepted - Attacks in southern Lebanon
According to the Israeli military, it intercepted three rockets from Lebanon in northern Israel this morning. Warning sirens had previously been heard in the town of Metula. There were initially no reports of damage or casualties. Israel initially gave no details as to who was responsible for the shelling - the Lebanese Hezbollah militia did not comment on this at first.
22.03.2025, 11:44
SDA
According to Lebanese security circles, the rocket attacks are the first by the militia on Israel since the ceasefire between the two sides came into force in November.
According to Lebanese sources, Israel again attacked targets in southern Lebanon. The army fired artillery at a location near the city of Nabatija, according to Lebanese security sources. The state agency NNA reported Israeli fighter jets in the south and attacks with artillery, tanks and machine guns in several places. According to Israeli media reports, the army responded with artillery fire at the launch site of the rockets.
In a statement, Israeli Chief of Staff Ejal Zamir said that Israel would respond resolutely to the rocket attacks. The Lebanese state is responsible for adhering to the existing ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, it added.
Lebanon's Prime Minister warns of "new war"
Lebanon's Prime Minister Nauaf Salam warned that Israel could drag his country into a "new war". The United Nations must increase international pressure to achieve Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon.
Iran-backed Hezbollah had been firing rockets at Israel for more than a year since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. According to its own statements, it wanted to support Hamas. Israel responded with massive air strikes and a ground offensive.
A ceasefire has actually been in place since November. This provides for a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the south of Lebanon. Although this has now largely taken place, there are still five Israeli military posts near the border. The Lebanese leadership regards the troops' continued presence as a violation of the agreement and has protested against it on several occasions.
The Lebanese government has contacted the committee monitoring the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, the Al-Arabiya news channel reported.
