On 6 April 2023, dozens of rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel, wounding 3 Israeli civilians.[2] The Israel government alleged that the rockets were fired by Palestinian factions Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, with Hezbollah's approval.[3]
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) described the situation as "extremely serious" and urged restraint. It said UNIFIL chief Aroldo Lazaro was in contact with authorities on both sides.[5]
Palestinian refugees have had a long presence in Southern Lebanon, with it being often used as a center to launch rockets into northern Israel. A state of heightened tension existed between Israel and Hamas following the 2023 Al-Aqsa clashes.[3]
Shellings
On 6 April 2023, dozens of rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel, wounding 3 Israeli civilians.[2] The Israel Defense Forces has said that it has intercepted 25 rockets fired from Lebanon.[2] Warning sirens had sounded in the town of Shlomi and in Betzet in northern Israel.[2] According to Israel, the rockets were fired by Palestinian factions Hamas and PIJ with Hezbollah's approval.[3]
In a written statement, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) described the situation as "extremely serious" and urged restraint. It said UNIFIL chief Aroldo Lazaro was in contact with authorities on both sides.[5] The attacks are the largest escalation between the two countries since the 2006 Lebanon War.[3]
Involvement of Hezbollah
Hezbollah was alleged by Israel to have given permission for Hamas to fire the rockets,[6] however, Israeli airstrikes did not target Hezbollah positions and Hezbollah has insisted that it will not get involved in "local attacks" by Israel in Lebanon.[7]
Reactions
Zhai Jun, the special envoy to the Middle East held a conference with envoys of the Arab League of its member states urging "relevant sides to act in accordance with relevant U.N. resolutions, and earnestly respect and maintain the historical status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem, and shared what China has done to ease the situation," calling for a United Nations Security Council emergency meeting.[8]
Prime Minister of LebanonNajib Mikati condemned the rockets fired towards Israel from its soil.[9] He added that Lebanon rejects the use of its territory to carry out operations that destabilise the situation.[10] The Lebanese Government and UNIFIL also began investigating the source of the rocket attacks.[6]
State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel stated "We condemn the launch of rockets from Lebanon and Gaza. Our commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad. We recognize Israel’s legitimate right to defend itself against all forms of aggression." According to The Times of Israel, the "Biden administration had blocked the UN Security Council from issuing a statement on the latest uptick in violence, fearing that it would be used to draw an equivalency between its actions and those of terror groups."[18]
