The Hezbollah armed group in Lebanon on May 8 (local time) announced that it had launched a series of missiles at a military base south of Israel's Nahariya city, in response to actions that this force considers to be a violation of the ceasefire in Lebanon.
According to Hezbollah's statement, the raids were carried out in response to Israeli attacks on the southern suburbs of Beirut, as well as airstrikes that affected villages and civilians in southern Lebanon.
A few hours after the missile launch, Hezbollah continued to announce the deployment of drones targeting a military base in northern Israel. This is the first time this force has publicly confirmed an attack on Israeli territory since the ceasefire took effect in mid-April.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that air defense sirens were sounded in several northern cities during the first raid. The IDF claimed to have intercepted one projectile, while others fell into an empty area and caused no casualties. The Israeli military has not commented on the UAV attack afterwards.
Previously, the IDF had repeatedly announced shots from Lebanon falling on northern Israel, but Hezbollah has never publicly claimed responsibility since the ceasefire agreement was implemented.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health said that Israeli attacks on 4 areas in southern Lebanon on the same day killed 10 people, including 2 children and 3 women. The Lebanese Civil Defense Agency also confirmed that a member of this force died in another Israeli airstrike.
The IDF announced that the target of the attack was a member of the Lebanese Resistance Brigade linked to Hezbollah, who was also active in the rescue force. The Israeli army also issued evacuation warnings for 7 towns in southern Lebanon.
Israel continues to carry out airstrikes on Lebanon even though the two sides have reached a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States. This agreement allows Israel to act to prevent "current and imminent" attacks.
On May 6, the IDF launched its first attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut after nearly a month, killing a senior Hezbollah commander.
New developments appear in the context that the delegations of Lebanon and Israel are expected to have direct dialogue in the US next week. The Ambassadors of Lebanon and Israel to the US have met twice in Washington in recent weeks to find a solution to completely end the conflict.
Hezbollah strongly opposes direct dialogue with Israel, calling it a "sin" and calling on the Lebanese government to withdraw.
