Jan 21 (Reuters) – Israel launched strikes on four border crossings on the Syria-Lebanon border on Wednesday, saying they were used by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah to smuggle weapons.
Israel and Lebanon agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in 2024, ending more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah that culminated in Israeli strikes that severely weakened the group. Since then, both sides have traded accusations of violations.
Lebanon has faced growing pressure from the U.S. and Israel to disarm Hezbollah, and its leaders fear that Israel could dramatically escalate strikes across the battered country to push Lebanon’s leaders to confiscate Hezbollah’s arsenal more quickly.
Another Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese village of Qennarit wounded 19 people, the Lebanese health ministry said.
The Israeli military had issued a warning on Wednesday to residents of certain buildings in the southern Lebanese villages of Qennarit, Kfour and Jarjouaa ahead of planned strikes on what was described as Hezbollah infrastructure.
“Once again, Israel is pursuing a policy of systematic aggression by carrying out air strikes on inhabited Lebanese villages, in a dangerous escalation that directly targets civilians”, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said in a post on X.
There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.
(Reporting by Ahmed Elimam, Tala Ramadan, Yomna Ehab and Jaidaa Taha; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Rod Nickel)
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