BEIRUT: The Israeli army on Friday said its warplanes have struck a Hezbollah rocket launcher in southern Lebanon after detecting military activity in the area two days after the beginning of a ceasefire.
“A short while ago, activity and movement of a Hezbollah portable rocket launcher were identified in southern Lebanon. The threat was thwarted in an (Israeli Air Force) strike”, the army said in a statement.
The ceasefire, which came into effect on Wednesday, ended a conflict that began the day after Israel’s war in Gaza started on October 7, 2023.
According to Lebanon’s health ministry, at least 3,961 people have been killed in the country since October 2023 while 16,520 were injured.
On the Israeli side, at least 82 soldiers and 47 civilians have been killed in the fighting, authorities there say.
The Lebanese army on Thursday accused Israel of violating a ceasefire since it came into effect the previous day after more than 13 months of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
“The Israeli enemy violated the deal several times,” the army said, citing air strikes and attacks on Lebanese territory with “various weapons”.
Announcing the Lebanon accord on Tuesday US President Joe Biden said that the peace deal involves Israeli forces withdrawing from Lebanon over 60 days, with the Lebanese army taking control of territory in the south of the country.
The Israel-Hezbollah deal was a rare boost for Biden as he prepares to leave the White House and hand over to Donald Trump on January 20.
Biden said the United States, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar and Israel would make another push for a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel is still at war with Hamas since October 7, 2023.
