from Your News:
Iran launched missiles at Israel for the first time since an early April ceasefire began, escalating tensions after Israel struck Beirut’s southern suburbs and as mediators tried to restart U.S.-Iran talks.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Iran launched missiles at Israel in the first such attack since a fragile ceasefire took effect in early April, further complicating U.S.-backed efforts to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel said the missile barrage followed days of rising tension over Lebanon, where Israel struck Beirut’s southern suburbs Sunday despite Washington’s recent request that it stand down, according to a report by the Associated Press. Tehran had warned that another attack on Beirut could restart full-scale war across the Middle East, even as Pakistan worked to revive negotiations between Iran and the United States.
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Israel said its Beirut strike was retaliation for fire from the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group into northern Israel earlier Sunday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel targeted “command centers.”
“We are striking them very hard, and we know that Hezbollah is on the run,” Netanyahu told his Cabinet.
Israel’s military said “steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians,” including aerial surveillance.
Lebanon’s health ministry said the Israeli strike hit a residential building, killing two people and wounding 20. The attack came just days after the Lebanese and Israeli governments reached a ceasefire agreement during U.S.-hosted talks, though Hezbollah rejected the deal.
Hezbollah did not immediately claim responsibility for the earlier fire into Israel.
The renewed escalation came after Israel on Monday had announced it would strike Beirut’s southern suburbs following Hezbollah-claimed attacks in northern Israel. Urgent talks through Washington halted those strikes on the condition that Hezbollah stop targeting Israeli border towns. Lebanon and Israel later renewed a ceasefire agreement that Beirut hopes will end the fighting.
The first such agreement took effect April 17, days after a 10-minute Israeli bombardment of Beirut killed more than 300 people. Israel later struck Beirut’s southern suburbs twice after that deal. Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon have continued daily, and Israeli forces have seized about one-fifth of Lebanon during a ground invasion.
Netanyahu, who faces elections later this year, has said Israel intends to continue its offensive until Hezbollah no longer poses a threat. Hezbollah has rejected the U.S.-brokered agreement and urged Lebanon to end direct talks with Israel. The group instead supports Iran’s position that a ceasefire in Lebanon must be included in negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
Iranian officials had signaled that U.S. and Israeli assets could be targeted after the Beirut strike. Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, accused Washington of enabling Israel and pointed to the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports.
