Beirut (Lebanon): On Thursday, two rockets were launched from southern Lebanon towards Israel, according to three security sources in Lebanon. One of the rockets landed within Lebanese territory, while the second fell near a disputed area along the border. Israel’s military spokesperson took to Twitter, stating that no incidents were reported within Israeli territory but that an explosion had occurred “beyond the border fence.” So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the rocket fire, and there has been no immediate response from the Lebanese army or the United Nations’ peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL.
It is noteworthy that Lebanon has not fired rockets at Israel since April, when a 34-rocket barrage resulted in three Israelis getting injured and several buildings being damaged. According to Lebanese sources, one rocket landed close to the Lebanese border village of Wazzani, while the second fell near the disputed village of Ghajar, which straddles the Israel-Lebanon border and whose residents pledge allegiance to Syria. The recent rocket fire occurred shortly after Israel concluded one of its largest military operations in years in the occupied West Bank, specifically in the Palestinian refugee camp of Jenin.
During the Israeli operation, Hezbollah, the prominent Lebanese organisation supported by Iran that dominates southern Lebanon and has been involved in several battles with Israel, proclaimed solidarity with the Palestinian cause. However, Hezbollah has not commented on the reports of rocket fire. In a separate statement, the armed group condemned what it described as “dangerous measures” taken by Israeli forces in the northern part of Ghajar, a region that Lebanon claims as its own. Hezbollah accused Israel of constructing a wire fence and cement wall, prompting Lebanon’s foreign ministry to voice concerns about these actions and their impact on the ground. At the time, there had been no immediate response from Israel’s military regarding the accusations made by Hezbollah.
Israel has previously condemned the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas for launching rockets into Israel from Lebanon in April, during a period of heightened Israeli-Palestinian tensions. In response, Israel carried out strikes on sites in Lebanon.
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