Israel warns Lebanon against the intense response after the missile fire

Israel has warned that it would “respond strongly” after the firing of rockets from Lebanon – the first since the end of the bilateral ceasefire deal in November.

The sirens heard in the northern Israeli town of Metula on Saturday morning, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that three missiles were intercepted. No injuries were reported.

No group recognized the firing of the missiles. The Prime Minister of Lebanon asked the army to take steps to prevent the country from dragging a “new war.”

However, the head of the Israeli Defense Army, Eyal Zamir, said that “the state of Lebanon is responsible” to support the ceasefire deal, which ended in 14 months of fighting with Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed armed group supported by Iran.

Local reports in Lebanon said that the artillery fire had been shot in some southern sites of the country. Israel has not confirmed.

The truce was fragile: Israel carried out air strikes almost daily, as described by Hezbollah’s targets, and indicated that the attacks will continue to prevent the group from assembly.

In addition, the Israeli army continues to occupy five locations in southern Lebanon, while the Lebanese government says it is a violation of the country’s sovereignty and a violation of the ceasefire, which requires the withdrawal of the Israeli forces.

Israel says that the Lebanese army has not yet been deployed in those areas, and that it needs to remain at these points to ensure the security of its border societies.

The missile attack on Saturday to Israel will increase pressure on the Lebanese government, and it may be used as evidence from Israel that the Lebanese army has no full control over the border areas.

Despite Israel’s ongoing attacks, Hezbollah did not respond. The group faces the great challenge of providing financial assistance to its warm societies, and pressure from its opponents to disarm them.

The President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, who arrived in power in January, said only that the state should only have weapons in the country, while it is seen as a reference to the Hezbollah arsenal. International partners in Lebanon say they will only help the country if the government works to curb Hezbollah’s authority.

Hezbollah launched its campaign the day after Hamas attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, saying it was acting in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The conflict has long escalated and led to an intense Israeli air campaign across Lebanon, the assassination of Hezbollah leaders and the Earth’s conquest of southern Lebanon.

The attack was killed about 4000 people in Lebanon – including many civilians – and led to the displacement of more than 1.2 million people.

The declared goal of Israel in its war against Hezbollah was to allow the return of about 60,000 residents who were displaced from societies in the north of the country due to the group’s attacks, and to remove it from the regions along the border.