Hezbollah fires first cross-border projectiles since 2024 ceasefire as Israel strikes Lebanon
Hezbollah claimed responsibility and said it fired “advanced missiles” and used drones against a missile-defense system south of Haifa
Hezbollah launched three projectiles toward northern Israel early Monday, describing the attack as retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, prompting Israeli airstrikes on multiple locations across Lebanon, including the Beirut area, according to official statements and news reports.
Israel’s military said the projectiles caused no injuries or damage: one was intercepted and two fell in open areas, with sirens sounding across northern communities. Israeli media described the incident as Hezbollah’s first claimed rocket fire since the November 2024 ceasefire, after a period in which Israel has continued near-daily strikes in Lebanon despite the truce.
Israel then carried out airstrikes against Hezbollah-linked targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs and elsewhere. Reuters said the bombardment was the heaviest on Beirut since the 2024 war, as the region faces wider escalation following attacks on Iran.
In a statement, Hezbollah claimed responsibility and said it fired “advanced missiles” and used drones against a missile-defense system south of Haifa. The group framed the operation as “revenge” for Khamenei’s killing and as a response to what it called repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned Hezbollah would “pay a heavy price” and said the group was fully responsible for any escalation, according to statements carried by Israeli outlets.
In Beirut, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called the rocket fire an “irresponsible act” that endangers Lebanon’s security and provides Israel with pretexts to continue strikes, while President Joseph Aoun reiterated that decisions of war and peace belong to the Lebanese state.
