Hezbollah claims first attack on Israel since ceasefire

Hezbollah announced missile and unmanned aerial vehicle launches into two bases on Israeli territory, marking its first public confirmation of such actions since the ceasefire.

Lebanon's Hezbollah group announced on May 8 that it fired a barrage of missiles at a military base south of Nahariya, Israel. This attack retaliated against "ceasefire violations, targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut, and strikes impacting villages and civilians in southern Lebanon."

Hours later, Hezbollah reported launching a series of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at a military base in northern Israel, also in response to Israeli attacks.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that air raid sirens sounded in several northern Israeli cities during the first attack. However, the IDF has not yet commented on the second incident.

The armed group Hezbollah fired rockets toward Israeli forces in southern Lebanon on 4/5. Video: Hezbollah

Following Hezbollah's initial assault, the IDF announced it intercepted one projectile. The IDF added that other projectiles landed in open areas, causing no injuries.

The IDF has frequently reported Hezbollah-fired projectiles falling in northern Israel. However, this marks the first time the Lebanese armed group has publicly claimed to attack targets on Israeli territory since the ceasefire came into effect in mid-April.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that Israeli strikes on four areas in southern Lebanon on May 8 killed 10 people, including two children and three women. Lebanon's civil defense agency had earlier stated that one of its members also died in an Israeli attack in the south.

The IDF claimed to have targeted a member of the Lebanese Resistance Brigades affiliated with Hezbollah, noting this individual "also operated as a search and rescue worker." The Israeli military also issued evacuation warnings for 7 towns in neighboring Lebanon's south.

Members of the armed group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon in 2023. Photo: AP

Israel has also continuously attacked Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreement between the two sides. The US-brokered agreement contains provisions allowing Israel to act against "ongoing and imminent attacks."

On May 6, the IDF targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut for the first time in nearly a month, killing a senior Hezbollah commander.

These clashes occur as Lebanese and Israeli delegations are set to hold direct talks in the US next week. Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the US have met twice in Washington in recent weeks in an effort to fully end the conflict.

Hezbollah strongly opposes direct dialogue, denouncing it as a "sin" and calling for the Lebanese government's withdrawal.