Israel strikes Hezbollah targets as fragile ceasefire frays

Valentine Baldassari, Dan Williams and Sara Gharaibeh, Bloomberg News on Mar 22, 2025

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Israel responded to rocket fire from southern Lebanon as a fragile four-month truce with Hezbollah showed new signs of strain, even as the Iran-backed group denied involvement.

The Israel Defense Forces said it was striking Hezbollah positions, including a command site and rocket launchers, on Saturday after Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the military to attack “dozens of terror targets.” Lebanese local media, citing civil defense personnel, reported four dead, including a child, and at least 12 injured in the town of Toulin.

“The IDF struck dozens of Hezbollah rocket launchers and a command center from which Hezbollah terrorists were operating in southern Lebanon,” the IDF said on X. Earlier, the IDF reported intercepting three projectiles which crossed into Israel from Lebanese territory near the border town of Metula.

Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered a second wave of strikes against Hezbollah targets on Saturday evening. The IDF confirmed a few minutes later that fighter jets were currently striking targets Lebanon.

“Hezbollah denies any involvement in the rocket fire from southern Lebanon,” the group said in a statement on Telegram, calling Israel’s allegations “pretexts” for continued attacks.

Israel and Hezbollah started a ceasefire in late November, ending a year-long war. The truce has largely held, though Lebanon and Israel have accused each other of breaking the terms. Air raid sirens sounded in the region on Saturday for the first time since the ceasefire was reached.

“The Lebanese government bears responsibility for any firing from its territory,” Katz said in a statement. “We will not allow the reality of firing from Lebanon on the Galilee communities.”

Lebanese President Nawaf Salam warned in a statement against renewed operations on the southern border, while President Joseph Aoun, condemned attempts to drag Lebanon back into a cycle of violence after months of relative calm.

Lebanon’s army said it had discovered and dismantled “three primitive rocket launchers” in the country’s south. UNIFIL, the U.N.’s interim force in Lebanon, said it was alarmed at a possible escalation of violence.

“The situation remains extremely fragile, and we encourage both sides to uphold their commitments,” UNIFIL said in a statement.