Hezbollah, a military group based in Lebanon, and the Israeli military have traded accusations of breaching a fragile ceasefire.
A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect at midnight between Thursday and Friday, following weeks of intensified cross-border fighting amid the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. The truce has remained fragile as tensions along Lebanon's southern border continue.
Hezbollah said it launched rockets and attack drones at an Israeli artillery position in the settlement of Kfar Giladi on Tuesday evening, marking an escalation despite the ongoing ceasefire.
The military group said in a statement that the attack targeted the source of recent Israeli artillery fire toward the Lebanese town of Yahmar al-Shaqif, describing the strike as a response to what it called repeated Israeli violations of the ceasefire since it took effect, including attacks on civilians and destruction of homes in southern Leabanon.
Also on Tuesday, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabin Berri called for an unconditional Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory in the south.
As long as the Israeli army maintains its occupation of southern Lebanon, it will continue to face resistance actions from Lebanon, he said in an interview, stressing that history has proven that Lebanese people will not accept any loss of their land.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Tuesday that Hezbollah fired rockets at Israeli soldiers operating in southern Lebanon.
The IDF said its forces subsequently struck Hezbollah's rocket launcher used in the attack.
Separately, the Israeli air defense system intercepted a drone launched from Lebanon that had not yet entered the Israeli airspace.
The IDF accused Hezbollah of committing a blatant violation of the ceasefire through its actions.
Furthermore, U.S. media reported on Tuesday that Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold their second ambassador-level talks at the U.S. State Department in Washington D.C., and Israel and Lebanon will again be represented by their ambassadors to the United States, Yechiel Leiter and Nada Hamadeh Moawad, respectively.
According to the latest data from the Emergency Operations Center of Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health, between March 2 and April 21, Israeli attacks and airstrikes in Lebanon had killed 2,454 people and injured 7,658 others. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes continue to hit southern Lebanese territory.
Hezbollah, Israel trade accusations of ceasefire violations
