Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it launched a large rocket and drone attack at Israel on Thursday in retaliation for the killing of a top commander, the latest surge of violence in the steadily worsening conflict at the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Fought in parallel to the Gaza war, the conflict between the Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel has been gradually intensifying for months, raising fears of a full-scale war, which both sides say they wish to avoid and diplomats are working to prevent.
As the latest violence played out in areas, at, or near the frontier — in keeping with the pattern of the last nine months — the sound of sonic booms rattled nerves for the second day in a row in Beirut and more widely across Lebanon.
Israeli jets broke the sound barrier over several areas of Lebanon, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.
Hezbollah said it launched more than 200 rockets and a swarm of drones at 10 Israeli military sites in retaliation for Israel’s killing of Hezbollah commander Mohammed Nasser in the south on Wednesday. Nasser is one of the most senior Hezbollah commanders to be killed by Israel during the conflict.
An Israeli military spokesperson said Hezbollah’s claims were “under review”, while Israel’s ambulance service said there were no casualties reported.
The Israeli military said it was striking launch posts in southern Lebanon and that it had intercepted numerous projectiles. Some of the drones and interceptor shrapnel set off fires, it said.
The United States has been leading diplomatic efforts to deescalate the fighting. Hezbollah has said it will not cease fire as long as Israel continues its offensive in the Gaza Strip.
The hostilities have inflicted a heavy toll on both sides of the frontier, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.
Amos Hochstein, a senior US official at the heart of the diplomacy, discussed French and American efforts to restore calm in meetings with French officials on Wednesday, a White House official said.
“France and the United States share the goal of resolving the current conflict across the Blue Line by diplomatic means, allowing Israeli and Lebanese civilians to return home with long-term assurances of safety and security,” the official said, referring to the demarcation line between the two neighbours.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Wednesday Israeli forces were hitting Hezbollah “very hard every day” and will be ready to take any action necessary against the group, though the preference is to reach a negotiated arrangement.
Hezbollah also launched rockets at Israel on Wednesday in retaliation for Nasser’s killing.
Hezbollah began firing at Israeli targets along the border with Lebanon after its Palestinian ally Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, declaring its support for the Palestinians.
Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed more than 300 Hezbollah fighters and some 90 civilians, according to Reuters tallies. Israel says fire from Lebanon has killed 18 soldiers and 10 civilians.