Smoke billows as Israeli army strikes south Lebanon villages after intercepting rockets fired from Lebanon. Israeli artillery and airstrikes hit south Lebanon on Saturday – killing at least eight people.
BEIRUT MARCH 22: Smoke billows as Israeli army strikes south Lebanon villages after intercepting rockets fired from Lebanon into northern Israel. Israeli artillery and airstrikes hit south Lebanon on Saturday – killing at least eight people.
Hezbollah denied responsibility for Saturday’s strikes, saying it had “no link” to the rocket launches and that it remained committed to the ceasefire. No group claimed responsibility for the attack. An Israeli official said the identity of the group which fired the rockets had not been confirmed. Six rockets were fired, the official said, three of which crossed into Israel and were intercepted.
The attacks on Saturday represent a major escalation by Israel. Tyre is one of the largest cities in southern Lebanon. Another strike was also reported in Zibqin, southeast of Tyre.
A 14-month-long conflict between the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israel began on 8 October 2023, when Hezbollah launched rockets and artillery at Israeli positions following the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel. The conflict escalated into a prolonged exchange of bombardments, leading to extensive displacement in Israel and Lebanon.
The conflict, part of the broader Middle Eastern crisis that began with Hamas’ attack, marked the largest escalation of the Hezbollah–Israel conflict since the 2006 Lebanon War.
