JERUSALEM: The Israeli air force said Thursday it launched its first airstrike on neighboring Lebanon in seven years, after a second day of rocket fire across the border.
Lebanon condemned the attacks as an “escalation” that could mark a change in strategy by Israel, while a Peacekeepers urged for restraint.
“Earlier today (Thursday) rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory,” the Israeli Air Force tweeted.
“In response … the fighters attacked the launch sites and infrastructure used for terror in Lebanon, from which the rockets were launched.
“An additional target was also hit in the area from which rockets have been launched in the past.”
Israeli aircraft regularly strike and suspect Palestinian terrorist targets in Gaza hezbollah or Iranian targets in Syria but this was the first time since 2014 that they had hit targets in Lebanon, the air force confirmed.
Lebanon al manar Television operated by the powerful Shia terrorist group Hezbollah said Israeli planes carried out two strikes outside the city of Mahmoudiya, about 11 kilometers (seven miles) from the border, at around 12:40 am (2145 GMT).
Lebanese officials national news agency also reported the attacks but provided few details.
President of Lebanon Michelle Aun “Israel’s use of its air force to target Lebanese villages is the first of its kind since 2006, and suggests an intention to escalate attacks against Lebanon,” it said.
Israeli warplanes last struck Lebanese territory near the border with Syria in 2014, but they have not targeted Hezbollah’s south Lebanese strongholds since militants fought a devastating 2006 conflict with Israel.
Thursday was the second straight day Israel reported rockets fired from Lebanon.
Three rockets were fired on Wednesday, two of which reached Israel, striking near the northern city Kiryat Shamona, where four people were treated for “stress symptoms”.
In response to that attack, Israeli forces fired three rounds of fire in retaliation for South Lebanon.
It set fire to several brushes in tinder-dry conditions, but there were no reports of casualties.
The Lebanese military said 92 artillery fired by Israel landed in southern Lebanon after Wednesday’s rocket fire.
It said it was investigating who fired the rockets.
The exchange came as thousands of mourning Lebanese marked the first anniversary of a devastating explosion in the port of Beirut, which killed at least 214 people and irreparably affected the nation’s psyche.
The then government resigned in the face of a wave of public anger, but a year later, despite the worsening economic downturn, no replacement administration has been created.
Israel has repeatedly warned that it will not allow the weakening of security along its northern border in Beirut.
The military said it “holds the state of Lebanon responsible for all actions taking place on its territory, and warns against further attempts to harm Israeli citizens and Israeli sovereignty”.
UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL, which has been stationed in Lebanon since 1978 and has been patrolling the border since the 2006 conflict, called on all sides to exercise restraint.
“UNIFIL’s Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General stefano del colo, was in immediate touch with the parties,” the force said in a statement on Wednesday.
“He urged them to exercise maximum restraint to avoid going ahead with the ceasefire and especially on this holy anniversary.
“It is imperative to restore stability immediately so that UNIFIL can begin its investigation.”
Lebanon condemned the attacks as an “escalation” that could mark a change in strategy by Israel, while a Peacekeepers urged for restraint.
“Earlier today (Thursday) rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory,” the Israeli Air Force tweeted.
“In response … the fighters attacked the launch sites and infrastructure used for terror in Lebanon, from which the rockets were launched.
“An additional target was also hit in the area from which rockets have been launched in the past.”
Israeli aircraft regularly strike and suspect Palestinian terrorist targets in Gaza hezbollah or Iranian targets in Syria but this was the first time since 2014 that they had hit targets in Lebanon, the air force confirmed.
Lebanon al manar Television operated by the powerful Shia terrorist group Hezbollah said Israeli planes carried out two strikes outside the city of Mahmoudiya, about 11 kilometers (seven miles) from the border, at around 12:40 am (2145 GMT).
Lebanese officials national news agency also reported the attacks but provided few details.
President of Lebanon Michelle Aun “Israel’s use of its air force to target Lebanese villages is the first of its kind since 2006, and suggests an intention to escalate attacks against Lebanon,” it said.
Israeli warplanes last struck Lebanese territory near the border with Syria in 2014, but they have not targeted Hezbollah’s south Lebanese strongholds since militants fought a devastating 2006 conflict with Israel.
Thursday was the second straight day Israel reported rockets fired from Lebanon.
Three rockets were fired on Wednesday, two of which reached Israel, striking near the northern city Kiryat Shamona, where four people were treated for “stress symptoms”.
In response to that attack, Israeli forces fired three rounds of fire in retaliation for South Lebanon.
It set fire to several brushes in tinder-dry conditions, but there were no reports of casualties.
The Lebanese military said 92 artillery fired by Israel landed in southern Lebanon after Wednesday’s rocket fire.
It said it was investigating who fired the rockets.
The exchange came as thousands of mourning Lebanese marked the first anniversary of a devastating explosion in the port of Beirut, which killed at least 214 people and irreparably affected the nation’s psyche.
The then government resigned in the face of a wave of public anger, but a year later, despite the worsening economic downturn, no replacement administration has been created.
Israel has repeatedly warned that it will not allow the weakening of security along its northern border in Beirut.
The military said it “holds the state of Lebanon responsible for all actions taking place on its territory, and warns against further attempts to harm Israeli citizens and Israeli sovereignty”.
UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL, which has been stationed in Lebanon since 1978 and has been patrolling the border since the 2006 conflict, called on all sides to exercise restraint.
“UNIFIL’s Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General stefano del colo, was in immediate touch with the parties,” the force said in a statement on Wednesday.
“He urged them to exercise maximum restraint to avoid going ahead with the ceasefire and especially on this holy anniversary.
“It is imperative to restore stability immediately so that UNIFIL can begin its investigation.”
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