By New York Post (World News) | Created at 2025-03-22 20:55:20 | Updated at 2025-03-23 22:43:40
1 day ago
Israel struck dozens of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon Saturday after the terror group fired a half dozen rockets at a border town in the Jewish state in a “a blatant violation” of a fragile November ceasefire.
The terror group blasted six rockets at Metula, a northern Israeli border town in the Galilee, on Saturday morning, the Israel Defense Forces said. Israel intercepted three and the other three reportedly fell short in Lebanon.
In response, Israeli forces struck dozens of Hezbollah rocket launchers and a command center, the IDF said on X. And in a second wave of airstrikes Saturday night, targeted Hezbollah headquarters, infrastructure, operatives and a weapons depot, it said.
“The rocket fire launched this morning toward the Galilee constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon and is a direct threat to the citizens of the State of Israel,” the IDF wrote on X. “The State of Lebanon bears responsibility for upholding the agreement.”
It added that the IDF will “continue to act as required in order protect Israeli citizens.”
“We will not allow a reality of fire from Lebanon on the Galilee communities,” said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz. “We have promised security to the Galilee communities, and that is exactly what will happen.”
And he delivered a stark warning to Lebanese officials that no target is off limits, saying the “fate of Metula is the same as Beirut,” the Times of Israel reported.
The attacks from Lebanon forced many residents of Metula, who only just returned to their homes to again flee the region, according to its mayor, David Azoulai.
“The return of residents to Metula under the current conditions is unreasonable,” Azoulai told the Times of Israel. “Metula residents won’t be held hostage to a security compromise.”
About 60,000 Israelis were displaced during the conflict with Lebanon, which began with Hezbollah firing rockets into Israel in solidarity with Hamas following its Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.
Hezbollah denied responsibility for Saturday’s attacks, saying it a statement that it “reiterates its commitment to the cease-fire agreement and stands behind the Lebanese state in addressing this dangerous Zionist escalation against Lebanon.”
The renewed fighting in southern Lebanon comes as Israel also ramped up attacks on Gaza, saying it would carry out operations “with increasing intensity” until Hamas frees the 59 hostages still in captivity, despite ongoing peace negotiations.
Twenty-four of the hostages are believed to be alive.
Among its attacks on Friday, which reportedly killed nine people, the IDF blew up a cancer hospital where it said Hamas terrorists were operating.
Hamas said it will only release the remaining hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and the removal of Israeli troops from Gaza, it said.
Meanwhile, Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, said in an interview with Tucker Carlson Friday that Hamas could still be involved in Gaza politically once the war ends — if they are demilitarized.
“We need to understand what Hamas wants and then think about what we can offer them to make them leave,” he said.
With Post wires
