Tel Aviv/Beirut - The Middle East remains unsettled as Israel's air force has conducted its most severe attacks since the ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect, targeting numerous sites in Lebanon.
Among the strikes, a launch pad was destroyed that had been used to fire rockets into Israel just hours earlier. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported at least nine fatalities as a result of these attacks.
The United States has cautioned against overinterpreting violations of the fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stated, "When there is a ceasefire, there are naturally violations." Concurrently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a "powerful" military response to a Hezbollah attack on northern Israel, describing it as a serious breach of the ceasefire.
According to military sources, the Israeli air force targeted terrorists, launch pads, and other facilities associated with the pro-Iranian Shiite militia. These claims have not been independently verified.
Both Hezbollah and the Israeli military have continuously accused each other of violating the ceasefire. Lebanon's parliamentary speaker, Nabih Berri, accused Israel of numerous violations, while the Israeli military asserted that actors in Lebanon must curb Hezbollah's hostile activities.