Hezbollah fires salvo of rockets at Israeli base
Hezbollah fired a large salvo of rockets at Israeli forces on February 27th, following Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, according to AFP.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) warned the “concerning shift in the exchange of fire” could jeopardize a political solution to the countries’ hostilities and urged “all parties involved to halt hostilities… and leave space to a political and diplomatic solution.”
Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah are a key ally of Hamas in Gaza and have exchanged near-daily fire with Israel’s Defence Forces (IDF) since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza conflict on October 7th, 2023.
READ: Israel strikes Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon
At least two simultaneous strikes hit near the Hezbollah stronghold of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon on February 26th, according to Reuters.
They strikes were the first in the area since hostilities began on October 7th, reaching as far as 30 km (18 miles) into Lebanese territory, and purportedly killed two Hezbollah fighters.
The IDF claimed the operations targeted Hezbollah’s air defences after the downing of an Israeli drone.
Hezbollah claimed to have targeted Israel’s Meron air control base in the annexed Golan Heights “with a large salvo of rockets from several launchers,” in response to the IDF’s Baalbek strikes.
IDF spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, said Hezbollah’s rockets caused no casualties nor damage to its base, but that Israeli strikes had destroyed a military site, and “military infrastructure” belonging to Hezbollah.
Cross-border exchanges since October 7th have killed at least 284 people in Lebanon, including 44 civilians, according to an AFP tally.
IDF official figures state that 10 soldiers and six civilians have been killed in such exchanges on the Israeli side of the border.
AFP / Reuters