Israel says military attacks Hezbollah targets in Beirut's southern suburbs
Escalation of Conflict Between Israel and Hezbollah
Israeli Military Response
JERUSALEM/BEIRUT June 14 (Reuters) - Israel said its military attacked Hezbollah targets in Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday after the Lebanese armed group fired into Israeli territory.
The Israeli military said earlier that Hezbollah had launched three projectiles towards communities in northern Israel, calling it a blatant ceasefire violation.
Official Statements
"The IDF has now attacked terrorist targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the Dahiyeh neighborhood of Beirut, in response to Hezbollah's firing into Israeli territory," a joint statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said.
Hezbollah's Actions and Reactions
There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah on the Israeli statement, but the group said it launched missiles and drones towards Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.
Recent Escalations
Last week, an Israeli strike on Dahiyeh triggered an exchange of fire between Israel and Iran that threatened to derail a U.S.-Iran deal that would end the wider war.
Diplomatic Developments
Washington and Tehran appear to be getting closer to a deal to end the more than three-month-long conflict, with U.S. and Pakistani leaders forecast a signing on Sunday.
Iran has long made the cessation of fighting in Lebanon a condition for any wider agreement with the United States.
Details of the Attack
Lebanese security sources said the attack on Dahiyeh appeared to be a targeted strike with two missiles.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Nayera Abdallah and Eman Abouhassira, Steven Scheer in Jerusalem, MAya Gebeily in Beirut; Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Helen Popper)
