Israeli fighter jets have launched air raids on Lebanon for the first time in more than seven years in retaliation for a second day of rocket fire from across the border.
It comes as tensions are rising in the Middle East after Iran was blamed for attacks on two foreign tankers in the Arabian Sea, including a drone strike which killed a British security guard, and the hijacking of another vessel. In Tehran, a hardline former judge, Ebrahim Raisi, is due to take office as president today.
Israel’s previous military responses in the area, which have largely targeted Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group, were previously limited to artillery shelling.
“Earlier today, rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory,” the Israeli air force tweeted. “In response . . . fighter jets struck the launch sites and infrastructure used for terror in Lebanon from which the rockets were launched.
“An additional target in the area from which rockets have been launched in the past was struck as well.”
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Israeli military aircraft are often accused of violating Lebanese air space and routinely target Palestinian armed groups in Gaza and suspected Iranian or militia targets in Syria, but last night’s strikes are the first to be officially acknowledged in southern Lebanon since February 2014.
“Israeli Defence Force attacks will continue and even intensify in the face of terror attacks against the state of Israel and its citizens,” the Israeli army said in a statement.
Three rockets had previously been fired from southern Lebanon yesterday, two of which reached Israel, striking near the northern town of Kiryat Shmona, where four people were treated for “stress symptoms”. Israel said further rockets had been fired today.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the launches and the Lebanese army said it was investigating.
Israel fought a war in 2006 against Hezbollah, which is the dominant political and military force in southern Lebanon and is supported with arms and funding by Iran.
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The Israeli army initially retaliated by carrying out three rounds of artillery shelling. The Lebanese army said 92 artillery shells fired by Israel landed in southern Lebanon following the rocket fire yesterday. This was followed last night by the air strikes, at about 12.40am local time (10.40pm BST).
The Hezbollah-affiliated broadcaster Al-Manar reported that Israeli jets struck an area on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese town of Aishiya.
No casualties were reported but Michel Aoun, the Lebanese president, said that the air strikes showed an escalation in Israel’s “aggressive intent” towards his country.
Aoun also said in a tweet that the strikes were a direct threat to the security and stability of southern Lebanon and violated UN security council resolutions.
The escalation came as thousands of grief-stricken Lebanese marked the first anniversary of a devastating explosion in Beirut port that killed more than 200 people.
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The government resigned in the face of a wave of popular anger but a year later, despite a worsening economic meltdown, no replacement administration has been formed.
Unifil, the United Nations peacekeeping force that has been deployed in Lebanon since 1978 and has patrolled the border since the 2006 war, called for restraint from all sides.
“Unifil’s head of mission and force commander, Major General Stefano Del Col, was in immediate contact with the parties,” the force said in a statement today.
“He urged them to cease fire and to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation, especially on this solemn anniversary. It is imperative to restore stability immediately so Unifil can begin its investigation.”
