Hezbollah Launches Missiles at Central Israel Amid Escalating Tensions
Hezbollah fired missiles into central Israel, prompting air raid sirens in Tel Aviv; no injuries reported as one missile was intercepted and another landed in an open area.
In the early hours of Friday, air raid sirens sounded across Tel Aviv and surrounding areas as Hezbollah launched at least two missiles from Lebanon into central Israel. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that one missile was successfully intercepted, while the other landed in an open area, causing no injuries.
This incident follows a series of escalations along the Israel-Lebanon border. On Thursday evening, sirens were activated in Haifa, the Bay Area, the Upper Galilee, and border regions due to four missile launches from Lebanon. The IDF confirmed that one missile was intercepted, with the others falling in open areas, resulting in no reported injuries.
Earlier that day, the IDF had warned of potential missile attacks on additional areas across Israel, advising the public to remain vigilant and adhere to Home Front Command instructions. The military emphasized its readiness to operate both defensively and offensively as the situation develops.
In a related development, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he has directed the cabinet to initiate direct negotiations with Lebanon aimed at disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between the two nations. Netanyahu stated, "In light of Lebanon's repeated requests to open direct negotiations with Israel, I instructed the cabinet yesterday to start direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible." He added that the negotiations would focus on "disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon."
The Lebanese government has yet to respond to Netanyahu's remarks. Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who is set to lead the talks, addressed the situation during a visit to Budapest. He clarified that the ceasefire agreement with Iran did not include Lebanon, stating, "I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon, and it just didn't. We never made that promise. We never indicated that was going to be the case."
As tensions persist, the international community continues to monitor the situation closely, urging all parties to exercise restraint and seek diplomatic solutions to prevent further escalation.