The Shiite armed group Hezbollah fired approximately 25 rockets at Israel this Wednesday, after the first meeting between representatives of the Lebanese and Israeli governments in Washington to discuss a ceasefire.
According to the Israeli army, Hezbollah launched “approximately 25 rockets” towards cities in the north of the country, where sirens have sounded continuously in recent hours.
The military reported that cAbout half of the projectiles were intercepted by the air defense system, while the remainder fell in uninhabited areas.
The Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom announced that the rocket launch caused at least one minor injury.
The Israeli army warned in a statement on Tuesday that “an increase in attacks from Lebanon” was possible, given the between the representatives of Lebanon and Israel in Washington, in which Hezbollah did not participate.
Minutes after the announcement, the first rocket salvo began, which coincided with the start of the meeting and included around five projectiles.
Rubio considers meeting a “historic opportunity”
At the beginning of the meeting, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio classified the meeting as a “historic opportunity” and stated that it is not just about addressing a possible ceasefire, but “a permanent solution to 20 or 30 years of Hezbollah influence” in the region, of which, according to the official, both the Israelis and the Lebanese have been victims.
The talks, which are expected to continue soon, took place after six weeks of clashes between Hezbollah and Israel on Lebanese territory, where more than two thousand people died and more than a million were displaced due to the since March 2nd.
In Israel, two people died due to attacks by the Lebanese group.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected on Monday the “meaningless” talks with Israel and considered that a change in strategy like this requires a prior internal consensus among the Lebanese.
Meanwhile, an Israeli air strike on Wednesday hit a car about 20 kilometers south of Beirut, according to state media.
“Enemy aircraft targeted a car in Saadiyat,” a coastal town, Lebanon’s ANI news agency reported.
Since the massive Black Wednesday airstrikes on April 8, which killed more than 350 people in Beirut and other parts of the country, Israel has not attacked the Lebanese capital following diplomatic pressure.
