Israel warns of severe response librans after rocket fire

Israel warned that “it will respond severely” after rockets were shot from Lebanon, the first since a bilateral agreement of Alto El Fuego entered into force in November.

Sirens were heard in the city of Metula del Norte Israelí on Saturday morning and the defense forces of Israel (FDI) said three rockets were intercepted. No injuries were reported.

No group has admitted to having triggered the rockets. Lebanon’s prime minister asked the military to take measures to prevent the country from being dragged “to a new war.”

However, the chief of IDF, Eyal Zamir, said that the “state of Lebanon has responsibility” to maintain the high fire agreement that ended 14 months of struggle with Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group backed by Iran.

Local reports in Lebanon said the artillery fire had been fired in some places in the south of the country. Israel has not confirmed.

The truce has been fragile: Israel has carried out almost daily air attacks on what it describes as Hezbollah’s objectives, and has indicated that the attacks will continue to prevent the group from being requiring.

In addition to that, the Israeli army still occupies five locations in the south of Lebanon, in what the Lebanese government says that it is a violation of the sovereignty of the country and a violation of the high fire agreement, which required the withdrawal of the Israeli troops.

Israel says that the Lebanese army has not yet been completely deployed in those areas, and that it must remain at those points to guarantee the safety of its border communities.

The attack with rocket on Saturday to Israel will exert even more pressure on the Lebanese government, and will probably be used as evidence by Israel that the Lebanese army does not have total control of border areas.

Despite Israel’s constant attacks, Hezbollah has not responded. The group faces the enormous challenge of providing financial assistance to their communities affected by war, and the pressure of their opponents to disarm.

The president of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, who came to power in January, has said that only the State should have weapons in the country, in what is seen as a reference to the Arsenal of Hezbollah. Lebanon’s international partners say they will only help the country if the government acts to stop the power of Hezbollah.

Hezbolá launched his campaign on the day after Hamas attacks south of Israel on October 7, 2023, saying that he was acting in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The long -standing conflict intensified and led to an intense Israeli air campaign throughout Lebanon, the murder of the main leaders of Hezbollah and a land invasion of the south of Lebanon.

The offensive killed some 4,000 people in Lebanon, including many civilians, and led to the displacement of more than 1.2 million residents.

The declared objective of Israel in his war against Hezbollah was to allow the return of about 60,000 residents who had been displaced from the communities in the north of the country due to the attacks of the group and eliminate it from the areas along the border.