Tensions escalated between Israel and Lebanon as two rockets were fired from southern Lebanon towards Israel on Thursday. In response, the Israeli military conducted cross-border strikes. The incident occurred against the backdrop of heightened Israeli-Arab tensions following Israel’s recent military incursion in the occupied West Bank, specifically targeting the Jenin camp, a Palestinian militant stronghold.
According to Lebanese security sources, two rockets were launched towards Israel. One of the rockets landed in Lebanese territory, while the second fell near a disputed area along the border. Initially, the Israeli military stated that there were no indications of any unusual incidents on their side of the border. However, later reports confirmed that a projectile had exploded within Israeli territory, although no damage was reported.
In response to the rocket launch, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) initiated strikes on the area from which the rockets were fired within Lebanese territory. Israeli communities near the border did not receive any special instructions at the time, but during significant escalations, civilians are usually advised to take cover.
Witnesses in southern Lebanon reported seeing plumes of white smoke rising from the hilly south. A resident of Wazzani, where one of the rockets landed, stated that artillery fire originating from Israel had hit their village.
Sources in Lebanon indicated that the second rocket had landed near the disputed village of Ghajar, which straddles the Israel-Lebanon border and whose residents claim allegiance to Syria.
No group claimed responsibility for the rocket fire, and there was no immediate response from the Lebanese army or the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which is responsible for peacekeeping operations in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese group that holds control over southern Lebanon and has engaged in multiple conflicts with Israel, expressed support for the Palestinian cause amidst Israel’s operation in the West Bank’s city of Jenin. However, Hezbollah did not comment on the reports of rocket fire.
In a separate statement, Hezbollah condemned what it referred to as “dangerous measures” taken by Israeli forces in the northern part of Ghajar, an area that Lebanon considers to be its own. The group accused Israel of erecting a wire fence and constructing a cement wall. Lebanon’s foreign ministry expressed concerns about these actions, stating that they were altering the reality on the ground. Israel’s military did not immediately respond to Hezbollah’s accusations.
It is worth noting that in April, Israel attributed rocket fire into its territory from Lebanon to the Palestinian group Hamas during another escalation of Israeli-Palestinian violence. As a result, Israel launched strikes on targets in Lebanon in response.