At least nine people were killed and three injured on Monday when Israeli strikes hit the southern Lebanese towns of Talousa and Haris. The Israeli military reported that it had struck dozens of Hezbollah targets across the country.
Earlier on Monday, Lebanese authorities reported two additional deaths, including a state security member, in Israeli strikes on other parts of southern Lebanon. This brings the day’s death toll to 11.
The latest Israeli strikes came shortly after Hezbollah accused Israel of violating a ceasefire agreement. In response, Hezbollah fired missiles at an Israeli military position in the disputed Shebaa Farms area, which the Iran-backed group described as a “defensive warning strike.”
The exchange of fire has put the ceasefire between the two sides in a precarious position less than a week after it was implemented.
The Israeli military reported no casualties from Hezbollah’s missile launches, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a “strong” response.
Hezbollah stated that its rocket fire, the first operation announced by the group since the ceasefire took effect last week, was in retaliation for repeated Israeli violations of the truce.
Lebanese Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, who negotiated the truce on behalf of Lebanon, said that Beirut had recorded at least 54 ceasefire violations by Israel since November 27.
Berri urged the committee responsible for monitoring the truce to “urgently” ensure that Israel halts its breaches.
Mahmoud Qomati, deputy head of Hezbollah’s Political Council, criticized Israel’s ceasefire violations on Monday. He called on the countries supervising the deal to assume their responsibilities by pressuring Israel to stop its breaches.
“Hezbollah does not want the return or expansion of the war. Hezbollah has been respecting the agreement, and countries supervising the deal shall bear responsibilities for these violations, which no one can bear,” Qomati said in an interview with Lebanese TV channel Al-Jadeed.
Reference(s):
Israel, Hezbollah exchange strikes as ceasefire violations mount
cgtn.com
