Lebanon, 11 killed by Israeli attacks incited by Hezbollah

2024-12-03 08:53:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Israel has carried out the biggest attack against Lebanon since the sides agreed to a ceasefire a week ago, killing at least 11 people.

The attack came after Lebanon's militant group Hezbollah fired a barrage of projectiles as a warning for what it called Israeli ceasefire violations. Hezbollah is a group supported by Iran, declared a terrorist organization by the United States.

The European Union considers only the military wing of the group to be terrorist, but not the political one.

The shelling was Hezbollah's first against Israeli forces since the two sides agreed to a 60-day ceasefire last week.

The highly vulnerable deal calls for an end to the fighting that began more than a year ago between Hezbollah and Israel - amid an expanding conflict fueled by the devastating war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Hamas is also considered a terrorist group by the US and the EU. US President-elect Donald Trump has called for the immediate release of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, saying on social media that if the hostages are not released before he officially takes office in January, the group will pay heavily.

It has not been made clear whether Trump has threatened direct involvement of the US military in Israel's war in Gaza. The US has provided Israel with significant military and diplomatic support throughout the nearly 15-month conflict.

The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas attacks in southern Israel in October last year, killing more than 1,200 people and taking more than 240 hostages.

As a result of Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza, more than 44,000 people have been killed, according to data from the Palestinian health authorities.

The United Nations warns that the situation in Gaza is apocalyptic and that civilians are suffering the most from this situation./ Rel