Hezbollah fired about 250 rockets and other projectiles into Israel on Sunday, wounding seven people in one of the militant group's heaviest barrages in months. This came in response to the Israeli airstrikes on Saturday that hit beirut without warning, killing at least 29 people and wounding 67, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.
Hezbollah began firing rockets, missiles and drones into Israel after Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack out of the Gaza Strip ignited the war there. The number of casualties in Gaza surpassed 44,000 last week, out of which 70 per cent are women and children, according to the UN.
Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes at Hezbollah, and in September the low-level conflict erupted into all-out war as Israel launched waves of airstrikes across large parts of Lebanon and killed Hezbollah's top leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and several top commanders.
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes have killed over 40 Lebanese troops since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah, even as Lebanon's military has largely kept to the sidelines.
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Hezbollah fires rockets after strikes on Beirut
The Israeli military said about 250 projectiles were fired Sunday, with some intercepted. Some of the rockets reached the Tel Aviv area in the heart of Israel.
Sirens wailed again in central and northern Israel hours later.
Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service said it treated seven people, including a 60-year old man in severe condition from rocket fire on northern Israel, a 23-year-old man who was lightly wounded by a blast in the central city of Petah Tikva, near Tel Aviv, and a 70-year-old woman who suffered smoke inhalation from a car that caught fire there. In Haifa, a rocket hit a residential building that police said was in danger of collapsing.
Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, condemned the latest strike as an assault on US-led cease-fire efforts, calling it a “direct, bloody message rejecting all efforts and ongoing contacts” to end the war.
The Palestine Red Crescent reported 13 injuries it said were caused by an interceptor missile that struck several homes in Tulkarem in the West Bank. It was unclear whether the injuries and damage elsewhere were caused by rockets or interceptors.
Israeli Strike Kills Lebanese Soldier
Meanwhile, an Israeli strike on an army centre killed a Lebanese soldier and wounded 18 others in the southwest between Tyre and Naqoura, Lebanon's military said.
The Israeli military expressed regret, saying that the strike occurred in an area of combat against Hezbollah and that the military's operations are directed solely against the militants.
Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,700 people in Lebanon, according to the Health Ministry. The fighting has displaced about 1.2 million people, or a quarter of Lebanon's population.
On the Israeli side, about 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have been killed by bombardment in northern Israel and in battle following Israel's ground invasion in early October. Around 60,000 Israelis have been displaced from the country's north.
EU Ready To Allocate 200 Million Euros To Assist Lebanese Army For Ceasefire
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged increased pressure on Israel and Hezbollah to finalize a deal, stating an agreement is awaiting Israeli government approval.
After meetings with Lebanese leaders, including Hezbollah ally Speaker Nabih Berri, Borrell confirmed the EU's commitment to providing 200 million euros to support Lebanon's military, which will deploy additional forces to the south.
What Does The Agreement Say?
The proposed agreement aims for the withdrawal of both Hezbollah and Israeli troops from southern Lebanon, as per a 2006 UN Security Council resolution.
Lebanese forces, supported by UN peacekeepers, would patrol the region, although Lebanon’s military lacks the strength to challenge Hezbollah or resist Israeli actions.
One year since the only hostage-release deal
With talks for a cease-fire and hostage release deal in Gaza stalled, freed hostages and families of those still held marked a year since the only hostage-release deal in that war.
“For a full year, we have been waiting for another deal to bring everyone back," said Yifat Zailer, cousin of Shiri Bibas, who is still captive along with her husband and two young sons. “It's hard to hold on to hope, certainly after so long and as another winter is about to begin.”
Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, with at least a third believed to be dead. Most of the rest of the 250 who were abducted in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack were released in last year's brief cease-fire.
Talks for another deal recently had several setbacks, including the firing of Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who had pushed for a deal, and Qatar's decision to suspend its mediation.
Efforts have been stalled for months, in large part over Hamas' demand that Israel end the war and withdraw all troops from Gaza as part of a hostage deal. Israel has offered only to pause its offensive.
