Tel Aviv claims Hezbollah attacks in northern Israel

Tel Aviv claimed Hezbollah attacks in northern Israel on Thursday despite US-mediated talks for a ceasefire between the two sides.

The Israeli army said air raid sirens sounded in several areas in northern Israel, including the Western Galilee and the Galilee Panhandle.

The military claimed the alerts were triggered by "suspicious" aerial projectiles targeting its forces. No injuries were reported.

The army released video footage it claimed documented aerial interceptions over the Kiryat Shmona area.

The daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that three Hezbollah drones penetrated Israeli airspace in the Western Galilee region.

According to an Anadolu tally, sirens sounded at least nine times since dawn by missiles and drones the army said were launched from Lebanon.

The Times of Israel, citing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, said the premier visited Shlomi in northern Israel about 30 minutes before the sirens sounded.

It added that Netanyahu was unharmed and left the area.

A joint Lebanese-US-Israeli statement announced early Thursday that Beirut and Tel Aviv had agreed during talks in Washington to implement a ceasefire based on a complete halt to Hezbollah fire and the withdrawal of all Hezbollah members from the area south of the Litani River.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the US would determine the timing and mechanism for implementing the ceasefire, which could begin within 24 hours of receiving approval.

But Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem rejected the outcomes of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.
In a statement, he said the US-backed ceasefire understandings reflected American and Israeli visions for Lebanon's future and sought to subject the country to what he called the "Greater Israel project."

Israel occupies areas in southern Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during the 2023-2024 conflict. During the current offensive, Israeli forces advanced more than 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory, marking their deepest incursion since 2000.

More than 3,500 people have been killed and over 10,000 injured in Israeli attacks across Lebanon since March 2, according to Lebanese officials.