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. The incidents tested a U.S.-mediated deal aimed at getting both sides to curb attacks.
Cross-border fire resumes
Iran-backed Hezbollah said in a statement it had 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 had 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.
Pressure on ceasefire efforts
Lebanon has emerged as a focal point of the regional crisis this week, with the risk of further escalation looming over efforts to seal a deal between Iran and the United States. Tehran insists Israel halt attacks on Lebanon under any agreement.
Hostilities have continued in southern Lebanon since the U.S.-mediated agreement was 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.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that Israel would strike the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut if northern Israel was attacked.
Statements from officials
“Only the successful interception by the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) prevented what could have been a deadly attack on civilians, including children,” Michael Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to Washington, said in a post on X.
He said Israel agreed to refrain from striking Beirut on condition that Hezbollah stopped attacking Israel and that Wednesday’s attack had been a “blatant violation of that understanding”.
Israeli strikes reported in Lebanon
Lebanese security sources said Israeli drone strikes hit at least 10 vehicles on Wednesday, including one that struck a car on the main coastal highway in the Khalde area, several kilometres south of Beirut, wounding two people.