Israel attacks Hezbollah outpost in Lebanon

On Friday night Israeli occupation forces launched a shower of artillery rockets on a Hezbollah outpost in the south of Lebanon, Lebanese and Israeli sources have said.

According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the Israeli forces affirmed the shelling. They said it was in retaliation to an improvised explosive device that targeted Israeli soldiers patrolling the border with Lebanon. They reported no causalities.

Lebanese sources said that Israeli shells landed on empty areas in the Lebanese territories. The sources said that the shells were launched from occupied Lebanese Shebaa farms.

Yedioth Ahronoth reported a senior Israeli military official saying: “Hezbollah was involved in the explosion and Hezbollah will be hurt.”

The official clarified that the Israeli forces have contacted UNIFIL in the area, who are in touch with Lebanese officials in a concerted effort to prevent an escalation in the region.

On 25 January Israeli warplanes attacked targets linked to Hezbollah on the Lebanese-Syrian border. Hezbollah pledged to respond to the Israeli attack “at the appropriate time and place.”

The January attack was the first of its kind since the end of the 2006 Lebanese-Israeli war.

On 9 December, Israeli forces launched more than 30 artillery shells after saying two rockets were launched towards Israel from Lebanon.

A couple of days later, 16 December, a Lebanese soldier opened fire on an Israeli soldier, killing him. That was the most dangerous incident since 2010 when an Israeli soldier killed two Lebanese soldiers and a journalist.

In the Israeli-Lebanese war in 2006, 1,200 Lebanese and 160 Israelis were killed. Most of the Lebanese who died were civilians. Most casualties were Israeli army.

From 2006 until today rockets from Lebanon have been launched against Israeli targets but anonymous groups have claimed responsibility.