Hezbollah fires on Israel as deaths reported in Lebanon

Hezbollah has once again fired rockets at northern Israel, despite the current ceasefire, while the Lebanese Health Ministry reported four deaths and several injuries following an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military did not initially respond to requests for comment.

Rocket alerts sounded in several towns in northern Israel on Friday afternoon. One projectile was intercepted, whilst others fell in open terrain, the Israeli military said.

The Israeli army had anticipated the attack from the neighbouring country and had previously announced that it was preparing for it. It was preceded by an Israeli attack in the southern suburbs of Beirut, in which the commander of the elite Hezbollah unit Radwan was killed.

The Israeli army also reported that a drone loaded with explosives belonging to the Iran-backed Hezbollah had crashed in Israel. Two soldiers were injured in the incident, one of them seriously, it said.

The Lebanese militia had deployed more drones, which exploded near Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon. A soldier was also injured in that incident.

Hezbollah also fired mortar shells and rockets at soldiers in southern Lebanon during the course of the day.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military once again urged residents of several villages in southern Lebanon to leave their homes ahead of imminent Israeli attacks against Hezbollah there.

Under the current ceasefire agreement, the Israeli military is permitted to defend itself against planned, imminent or ongoing attacks, but is required to refrain from “offensive” operations against targets in Lebanon.

Both sides accuse each other of violating the agreement.