The Israeli army staged new attacks in Lebanon on Sunday, killing at least three people as Hezbollah threatened a “crushing response” to continued air strikes.
Israel's military said the strikes on southern Lebanon killed one “terrorist” in Yater working to rebuild Hezbollah infrastructure, and a second in Bint Jbeil who was responsible for relaying the group's messages to locals.
It said a third terrorist was “struck” but results were still being examined, leaving their fate unclear. Lebanese health officials reported three deaths, saying the attacks occurred on cars and motorcycles.
The Israeli army regularly bombs southern Lebanon despite last year's ceasefire, saying it is eliminating threats. The attacks make Lebanon's US-backed push to disarm Hezbollah all the more sensitive, since the group positions itself as an essential line of defence against Israel.
Hezbollah has so far held back from retaliation. But at a meeting in Iran on Sunday with an adviser to Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Hezbollah representative Abdallah Safieddine hinted that could change.
“Referring to repeated Israeli violations of the ceasefire, Safieddine warned that Hezbollah will deliver a crushing response whenever it decides to do so," Iranian state media reported. Mr Safieddine said the group would not lay down its arms. His brother Hashem, a senior Hezbollah commander, was killed by Israel last year after the assassination of his cousin Hassan Nasrallah, the group's long-time secretary general.
The Iranian adviser, Ali Akbar Velayati, promised Tehan would “maintain its backing for Hezbollah’s activities on the front line of resistance”. He described the group as a “key pillar of the resistance front against Israel”.
Mr Velayati provoked anger in Lebanon last month by describing Hezbollah as “more essential than bread and water” for the country. Lebanon's Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji criticised those remarks as interference in Lebanese affairs.
Tension continued to simmer last week as Mr Rajji declined an invitation to visit Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called that “bemusing”, but said he would happily visit Beirut.
Hezbollah was badly weakened by last year's war in Lebanon, in which senior figures were assassinated by Israel.
