Middle East crisis Israel-Hezbollah

New fighting on the border between Lebanon and Israel

Israel says it has shot down three rockets fired from Lebanon on Saturday, AFP reports.

Defense Minister Israel Katz says he has ordered the military to take action, and according to Lebanese media, two communities near the border have been shelled by Israeli artillery, Reuters reports. Israel has also reportedly carried out airstrikes.

At the same time, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam says the country is ready to resume military operations on the border with Israel.

– All security and military measures must be taken to show that it is Lebanon that makes decisions about war and peace, he says in a statement.

Since November 27, a ceasefire has been in place between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon after a year of fighting.

Hezbollah targets attacked – UN warns of escalation

The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, is warning of an escalation in the conflict between Israel and the Shiite militia Hezbollah, reports the Times of Israel. Saturday’s rocket fire from Lebanon, which has prompted Israel to respond, risks having “serious consequences” in the region.

“The situation remains extremely fragile, and we encourage both sides to uphold their commitments,” UNIFIL said in a statement.

The Israeli military, IDF, confirmed that it had carried out attacks on several Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. It did not specify what the targets were.

The attacks were in response to the three rockets fired from Lebanon. The Lebanese army said it had located and destroyed the three rocket launchers.

Since November 27, a ceasefire has been in place between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah after a year of fighting.

Rocket attack condemned by Lebanon – Hezbollah denies

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemns this morning's rocket attack on Israel, reports Haaretz. According to Aoun, it is an attempt to drag Lebanon into a new spiral of violence.

At the same time, the Shiite militia Hezbollah claims not to have carried out the attack. On the contrary, the group claims to stand by the ceasefire agreement, reports Al Jazeera.

The rocket attack has prompted Israel to attack several targets in southern Lebanon during the day. The violence is the worst on the border between the countries since the ceasefire agreement was signed in November.

Lebanon's foreign minister states that "diplomatic work is underway to stop the Israeli aggression," writes Haaretz.