Beirut, Lebanon. The Israeli military said it intercepted rockets fired by Hezbollah into Israel on Wednesday, while Lebanese security sources said an Israeli strike hit a car near Beirut, testing a U.S.-mediated agreement aimed at curbing attacks.
Lebanon has become a focal point of the regional crisis this week, as hostilities continued in the south despite the agreement announced on Monday.
Cross-border fire reported
Iran-backed Hezbollah said it fired a rocket salvo at an Israeli troop position in northern Israel, marking the first time it had announced a cross-border missile attack since Monday.
The Israeli military said it intercepted two rockets that crossed into Israeli territory from Lebanon.
Earlier, the Israeli military said it had intercepted a hostile aircraft that crossed into Israel, which a spokesperson said was likely a drone fired by Hezbollah.
Agreement under strain
The continuing exchanges have tested the U.S.-mediated agreement announced on Monday, when President Donald Trump said he had asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to carry out a major raid on Beirut and that Hezbollah, through intermediaries, had pledged not to attack Israel.
Lebanon has emerged as a focal point in the broader regional crisis, with the risk of further escalation hanging over efforts to secure a deal between Iran and the United States. Tehran has insisted that Israel halt attacks on Lebanon under any agreement.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that Israel would strike the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut if northern Israel came under attack.
Statements from officials
Michael Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to Washington, said in a post on X that only the successful interception by the Israel Defense Forces had prevented what could have been a deadly attack on civilians, including children.
He said Israel had agreed to refrain from striking Beirut on condition that Hezbollah stopped attacking Israel, and described Wednesday’s attack as a blatant violation of that understanding.
Strikes in Lebanon
Lebanese security sources said Israeli drone strikes hit at least 10 vehicles on Wednesday.
They said one strike hit a car on the main coastal highway in the Khalde area, several km south of Beirut, wounding two people.