IDF hammers Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after six rockets are fired at Israeli town of Metula

The Israeli Air Force struck dozens of rocket launchers and a command center of the terror organization Hezbollah in southern Lebanon after six rockets were launched at the Israeli city of Metula earlier on Saturday.

Three of the rockets were intercepted while the other three fell short in Lebanese territory. Hezbollah denied responsibility for the strikes and stressed that it remained committed to the ceasefire terms.

Despite the Israeli strikes hitting Hezbollah targets, Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed to ultimately hold the Lebanese government responsible and threatened that Metula and Beirut would share the same fate.

"Metula and Beirut will be treated the same. The Lebanese government is fully responsible for any fire originating from its territory. I have instructed the IDF to respond accordingly," Katz warned.

"The rocket fire launched this morning (Saturday) toward the Galilee constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon and is a direct threat to the citizens of the State of Israel," the IDF stated.

Several airstrikes by the Israeli Air Force have targeted Hezbollah sites in the city of Tyre in Southwestern Lebanon within the last few minutes, resulting in a number casualties and serious damage to multiple buildings within the city. pic.twitter.com/f8eMI10lwk

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 22, 2025

This marked the first rocket attack from Lebanon targeting northern Israel since December 2024.

In an initial response, the IDF used artillery fire against undisclosed targets in southern Lebanon, before conducting a broad wave of airstrikes in the afternoon.

Hezbollah-affiliated news outlet al-Manar reported that the Israeli Air Force hit targets in the southern Lebanese towns of Yohmor al-Shaqif, Arnoun, Kfar Tibnit, Markaba, Khiam, Houla, and Tyre, among others.

According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, six people were killed and twenty wounded in the strikes. The ministry did not specify how many of the victims were members of Hezbollah or other terror groups.

In the evening, Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the Air Force to carry out another wave of strikes.

"We will not tolerate attacks on Galilee communities from Lebanon. Our commitment to their security stands firm – that is exactly what will be," Katz warned.

Israel's new military Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir held a situational assessment with senior IDF officials following the rocket attack from Lebanon.

According to media reports, intensive diplomatic discussions with potential mediators were held throughout the day in an effort to stop an escalation between Lebanon and Israel.

Newly-elected Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam demanded that "all security and military measures must be taken to show that Lebanon decides on matters of war and peace."

Despite its recent losses, Hezbollah is still a more powerful military force than the state's official military, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).

على أثر إطلاق صواريخ من الأراضي اللبنانية نحو الأراضي الفلسطينية المحتلة، أجرى الجيش عمليات مسح وتفتيش وعثر بنتيجتها على ٣ منصات صواريخ بدائية الصنع في المنطقة الواقعة شمال نهر الليطاني بين بلدتَي كفرتبنيت وأرنون - النبطية، وعمل على تفكيكها.
تستمر الوحدات العسكرية في اتخاذ… pic.twitter.com/iIfoZO9vRu

— الجيش اللبناني (@LebarmyOfficial) March 22, 2025

Later in the day, the LAF announced it had "conducted a search and inspection operation, which resulted in the discovery of three primitive rocket launchers in the area north of the Litani River, between the towns of Kfar Tibnit and Arnoun in Nabatieh."

"The army then proceeded to dismantle them. Military units continue to take the necessary measures to control the situation in the south," the LAF wrote on its 𝕏 account.

President Aoun, who, until recently, was the LAF's commander, condemned "attempts to drag Lebanon back into the cycle of violence," and ordered the army to take the "necessary steps to protect the safety of the citizens and investigate" the incident.

Hezbollah, which was severely degraded during the conflict with Israel, recently indicated it would not take part in the renewed fighting between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip. However, the region is volatile and conditions on the ground can shift rapidly.

In addition to Hezbollah, there are also other Iran-backed terror proxies in Lebanon, including Hamas cells that have previously attacked northern Israel.

Hezbollah openly calls for the Jewish state’s destruction and officially acted in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza. The Shiite terrorist militia in Lebanon launched an unprovoked attack on Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, just one day after Hamas invaded southern Israel, killing 1,200 and kidnapping 251 individuals – living and deceased – from Israeli border communities.