Girl among two dead as Israel strikes Lebanon after cross-border rocket fire

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Israel conducted deadly strikes on Lebanon Saturday in response to a rocket attack from across the border, as Hizbollah denied responsibility for the launch.

Lebanon's official National News Agency reported one girl among two killed in an Israeli strike on the southern town of Touline, amid the largest escalation of attacks since a November 27 ceasefire.

The Israeli army had said earlier Saturday that three rockets, all of which were intercepted, were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel, setting off air raid sirens in the region for the first time since November.

"Hizbollah denies any involvement in the rocket fire from southern Lebanon into the occupied Palestinian territories (Israel)," the Iran-backed group said in a statement, calling Israel's accusations "pretexts for its continued attacks on Lebanon".

The Iran-backed group said that it stands "with the Lebanese state in addressing this dangerous Zionist escalation on Lebanon".

While Hizbollah has long held sway over areas of Lebanon bordering Israel, other Lebanese and Palestinian groups have also carried out cross-border attacks.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned the country risked being dragged into a "new war" after months of relative calm.

But Israeli defence chiefs said they held the Lebanese government responsible for all hostile fire from its territory regardless of who launched it.

"We cannot allow fire from Lebanon on Galilee communities," Defence Minister Israel Katz said, referring to towns and villages in the north, many of which were evacuated after Hizbollah began firing on Israel in support of Hamas in October 2023.

"The Lebanese government is responsible for attacks from its territory. I have ordered the military to respond accordingly," Katz said.

Armed forces chief Eyal Zamir warned the military would "respond severely".

NNA said Israeli air strikes and shelling had targeted several areas of the south.

One Israeli strike killed two people including a girl in Touline, NNA reported. It had earlier reported Israeli strikes wounded two people in the border village of Kfarkila.

UN 'alarm' 

The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon said it was "alarmed by the possible escalation of violence" following the morning's rocket fire.

"We strongly urge all parties to avoid jeopardising the progress made, especially when civilian lives and the fragile stability observed in recent months are at risk," it said.

The Lebanese prime minister meanwhile "warned against renewed military operations on the southern border, because of the risks they carry of dragging the country into a new war," his office said.

Hizbollah has long held sway in much of south and east Lebanon, as well as south Beirut, but the group was dealt devastating blows, including the killing of longtime chief Hassan Nasrallah, during its war with Israel.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hizbollah is supposed to pull its forces back north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometres from the Israeli border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.

Israel is supposed to withdraw its forces across the UN-demarcated Blue Line, the de facto border but has missed two deadlines to do so and continues to hold five positions it deems "strategic".

Israel has carried out repeated air strikes during the ceasefire that it said targeted Hizbollah military sites that violated the agreement.

The Lebanese army said it had dismantled three makeshift rocket batteries in an area north of the Litani on Saturday.

Gaza assault enters day five 

Saturday's flare-up on the Lebanese border came five days into Israel's renewed offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza, which shattered the relative calm that had reigned since a January 19 ceasefire.

Israel's defence minister said Friday that he had ordered the army to "seize more territory in Gaza".

"The more Hamas refuses to free the hostages, the more territory it will lose, which will be annexed by Israel," Katz said.

The return to military operations was coordinated with US President Donald Trump's administration but drew widespread condemnation.

Hamas took issue Saturday with Washington's characterisation of its position, insisting that it stood ready to release all its remaining hostages as part of a promised second stage of the ceasefire.

"The claim that 'Hamas chose war instead of releasing the hostages' is a distortion of the facts," the group said.

When the first stage of the ceasefire expired early this month, Israel rejected negotiations for the promised second stage, calling instead for the return of all its remaining hostages under an extended first stage.

That would have meant delaying talks on a lasting ceasefire, and was rejected by Hamas as an attempt to renegotiate the original deal.