For the first time since last week’s ceasefire began, Hezbollah launched two projectiles into Israeli-occupied territory on Monday, responding to a series of Israeli strikes in Lebanon. The Israeli military reported that the projectiles landed in open areas without causing injuries but did not specify their type.
Israel has conducted daily airstrikes in Lebanon since Thursday, the day after the ceasefire took effect. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported one fatality from a recent strike in southern Lebanon. In response to Hezbollah’s attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned it as a “serious violation” and vowed retaliation. Hours later, Israel’s military announced strikes on “terror targets” in Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) defended their cross-border actions, stating they were a response to Hezbollah activities posing threats to Israeli civilians. Recent Israeli strikes reportedly targeted military vehicles at a Hezbollah missile site in the Beqaa Valley and tunnel infrastructure near the Syrian border.
Both the United States and France have expressed concerns that Israel may have breached the ceasefire, according to reports from Israeli media outlets. A UN source indicated that Israel had violated the truce approximately 100 times since its implementation. The IDF has not yet commented on these allegations.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, however, asserted that Israel is enforcing the ceasefire, which requires Hezbollah’s withdrawal from the border zone. He emphasized that Hezbollah’s presence south of the Litani River constitutes a fundamental violation of the agreement. “They must move north,” Sa’ar stated, reinforcing Israel’s commitment to the truce’s terms.
Hezbollah, in turn, accused Israel of breaking the ceasefire through repeated airstrikes, attacks on civilians, and continuous violations of Lebanese airspace, including over Beirut. The group described its projectile launch as a defensive response to Israeli provocations.
The disputed Shebaa Farms area, known in Israel as Mount Dov, remains a focal point of tension. Israel has occupied this territory, considered under international law as Syrian, since the 1967 war. The U.S. recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, including Shebaa Farms, in 2019.
Both sides have traded accusations of ceasefire breaches since the truce began, raising fears about the agreement’s stability. An Israeli official stated that the military plans to act unilaterally against any Hezbollah violations, though this approach was not formally part of the ceasefire deal. U.S. assurances reportedly support Israel’s right to defend itself under specific conditions.
