Israel has responded with multiple air strikes on Lebanon after several rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel, in the worst violence since a ceasefire came into effect in November.
The Israeli military said it had hit dozens of rocket launchers and a command centre belonging to Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia and political group, in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon’s health ministry said seven people, including a child, were killed and 40 injured in the air strikes.
Several armed groups operate in Lebanon, including Hezbollah and Palestinian factions, and no-one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Hours after the first set of strikes, a second wave of attacks were carried out at night on targets that included what the Israeli military described as command centres, infrastructure sites and a weapons storage facility in Lebanon.
March 22 rocket attack from Lebanon came days after Israel reinforced its offensive against Hamas, a Hezbollah ally, in Gaza.
The Israeli military said it had intercepted three rockets in the northern Israeli town of Metula, and there were no casualties.
Hezbollah said it had no involvement, and it remained committed to the ceasefire.
The Lebanese military said it had dismantled “three primitive rocket launchers” in the south, and the country’s defence minister said an investigation had been launched into the attack.
The developments put pressure on a fragile truce, brokered by the US and France, that ended more than a year of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Under the terms of the ceasefire deal, the Lebanese military would deploy thousands of additional soldiers to the south of the country to prevent armed groups from attacking Israel.
Hezbollah was required to remove its fighters and weapons, while the Israeli military would withdraw from positions occupied in the war.
Israel has carried out nearly daily air strikes on what it describes as Hezbollah targets, and has indicated that attacks will continue to prevent the group from rearming.
The Israeli military is still occupying five locations in southern Lebanon, in what the Lebanese government says is a violation of the country’s sovereignty and a breach of the deal.
Israel says the Lebanese military has not yet fully deployed to those areas, and that it needs to remain at those points to guarantee the security of its border communities.
March 22 attack is further proofof the challenges facing the Lebanese army, as it tries to exert control over southern areas where Hezbollah has traditionally had a strong presence and support.
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun, who came to power in January, has said only the state should have arms in the country, in what is seen as a reference to Hezbollah’s arsenal.
