Israel's Response to Rocket Attacks; Reports Indicate Three Villages in Lebanon Bombed

On Wednesday, February 14, the Israeli army announced that its fighter jets had "initiated a series of attacks in Lebanon." This action heightened concerns about the onset of a full-scale war between Israel and Lebanon following months of border clashes and increased tensions stemming from the war between Israel and Hamas. According to CBC News, the Israeli army did not provide further details about these airstrikes, but Lebanese media reported that three villages were targeted. Medical sources stated that these attacks occurred hours after rockets fired from Lebanon injured several people in northern Israel. The head of the 'Magen David Adom' emergency service reported that seven people were injured in the attack on northern Israel, five of whom were in the city of Safed. A photographer from AFP also observed doctors and soldiers evacuating an injured person from a hospital in Safed using a military helicopter. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the rocket attack on Israel, but Hezbollah, the group backed by the Islamic Republic, has repeatedly attacked northern Israel in recent months. Israel has also responded to these attacks, killing dozens of members of this group. The border clashes have forced thousands of Israelis living in the north of the country to evacuate their homes, increasing pressure on the Israeli government to counter Hezbollah's rocket attacks. According to AFP, at least 243 people have been killed in Lebanon since the start of the war between Hamas and Israel, most of whom were Hezbollah forces, while 30 were civilians. According to official Israeli statistics, nine soldiers and six civilians have been killed in northern Israel so far. The commander of the Israeli Air Force stated that if a war with Lebanon begins, the term "attack" will not describe Israel's actions. A military commander of Hezbollah was killed in an Israeli drone strike. The U.S. has sanctioned several companies in Turkey and Lebanon due to their connections with Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. An Israeli attack targeted a Hezbollah vehicle; the Jerusalem Post reported that the "main target" was not killed.