The Israeli military launched a wave of airstrikes in Lebanon on Monday evening after Hezbollah launched two mortars at the Mount Dov area for the first time since the ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed terror group took effect last week.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said fighter jets struck Hezbollah operatives and dozens of rocket launchers and facilities belonging to the terror group across Lebanon.
Hezbollah claimed earlier on Monday that it launched the mortars in response to Israel’s “repeated violations” of the ceasefire deal that took effect last week, and said that it should serve as an “initial warning” over IDF strikes on Lebanon during the truce and the “continued violation of Lebanese airspace by hostile Israeli aircraft.”
The incident — the first fire from Lebanon since the start of the truce — came after the US and France both reportedly warned that Israel was violating parts of the deal, a charge Israel has denied.
The IDF said that the projectiles landed in open areas and did not cause any injuries.
“Hezbollah’s firing at Mount Dov constitutes a serious violation of the ceasefire, and Israel will respond forcefully,” he said in a statement. “We are determined to continue to enforce the ceasefire, and to respond to any violation by Hezbollah — a minor one will be treated like a major one.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz also warned of a “harsh response,” writing on X that Israel “promised to act against any violation of the ceasefire by Hezbollah, and that is exactly what we will do.”
In addition to the Hezbollah operatives, rocket launchers, and facilities targeted by fighter jets, the IDF said it struck the launcher used to fire the two mortars at Mount Dov. The site was hit a short while after the attack, according to the army.
“Hezbollah’s launches tonight constitute a violation of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon,” the IDF said in a statement.
“The State of Israel demands that the relevant parties in Lebanon fulfill their responsibilities and prevent Hezbollah’s hostile activity from within Lebanese territory. The State of Israel remains obligated to the fulfillment of the conditions of the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon,” the army added.
Lebanon’s health ministry later said at least nine people were killed in Israeli strikes on two southern villages.
“The Israeli enemy strike on the village of Haris killed five people and injured two, in an initial toll,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that another such attack on Tallousa “killed four people and injured one person.”
Syria’s Sham FM radio, meanwhile, reported that a series of Israeli airstrikes on Monday night targeted border crossings between Lebanon and Syria in the al-Qusayr area.
During a visit to southern Lebanon earlier in the day, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi vowed the military will “attack strongly in the face of Hezbollah’s grave violations, and we will continue to do so.”
“We have plans and goals ready to be activated at any moment,” he added.
Despite the incidents on Monday, US officials said that the ceasefire was still holding.
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