Israel launches air strikes on Lebanon, Gaza after rocket attack
What's the story
Israel has launched airstrikes in Gaza and struck targets that belonged to the Palestinian militant group Hamas in southern Lebanon on Friday morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. In a statement, the IDF stated it will not permit the Hamas terrorist organization to operate from within Lebanon and will hold the state of Lebanon accountable for any aimed fire emanating from its territory.
Context
Why does this story matter?
This significant development comes just hours after Lebanon fired almost 34 rockets into Israel, forcing citizens across the country's northern frontier into bomb shelters and wounding at least two individuals. It is worth noting that the current situation is similar to what happened in 2021 when tensions between Gaza's Hamas rulers and Israel erupted into an 11-day war.
Details
IDF hits 'terror' tunnels in Khan Yunis and Beit Hanoun
Following the Gaza strikes, Hamas issued an official statement, stating that it "holds the occupation responsible for its aggression against Jerusalem and Gaza." Meanwhile, the IDF reported that its fighter jets struck two "terror" tunnels in Khan Yunis and Beit Hanoun. It also hit two of Hamas' weapons-manufacturing locations "as a response to the security violations of Hamas during the last few days."
Twitter Post
Visuals of Israel's air strikes on Gaza
VIDEO: Israel launches air strikes on the Gaza Strip, after vowing to retaliate over a barrage of cross-border rockets fired from Lebanon, which it blamed on Palestinian groups pic.twitter.com/jJrs4rn1nH
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) April 7, 2023
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Will cripple our enemies: Israel PM Netanyahu
Just hours before the Gaza strikes, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Israel "will cripple our enemies and they will pay a price for any aggression." "Our enemies will discover that in moments of test, the citizens of Israel stand united and united and support the actions of the IDF and the other security forces to protect our country and its citizens," he added.
Further information
How Israeli Police's Al-Aqsa mosque raid triggered unrest
This latest violent exchange came after Israeli police raided the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, firing stun grenades, attacking Palestinian worshippers, and evicting them from the holy site as they gathered for Ramzan prayers, Al Jazeera reported. Notably, this year's Muslim holy month falls on Passover, a major Jewish holiday, as well as Easter, a Christian festival.
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Here's what Netanyahu said after air strikes
Following the developments, Netanyahu's office released a short statement after a nearly three-hour meeting and said that a series of decisions had been made. Taking to Twitter, the 73-year-old said that Isreal's enemies will pay a "heavy price." "Israel's response, tonight and beyond, will extract a heavy price from our enemies," Netanyahu stated in his tweet while not elaborating on specifics.
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Twitter post by the Israeli PM
קיבלנו בקבינט שורת החלטות, בהמלצת צה״ל וזרועות הביטחון. תגובת ישראל, הלילה ובהמשך, תגבה מחיר משמעותי מאויבינו.
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 7, 2023
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Lebanon PM's reaction to the air strikes
Lebanon's PM, Najib Mikati has also condemned the rocket firings and stated that Lebanese troops and the United Nations (UN) peacekeepers were probing and trying to track down the perpetrators. Furthermore, Mikati added that his administration "categorically rejects any military escalation" and the use of Lebanese territory to stage acts that endanger peace and stability.