ISTANBUL

Hezbollah said Friday it launched seven operations targeting Israeli military gatherings in southern Lebanon and northern Israel.

The group said the strikes were “in response to the criminal Israeli aggression” against Lebanese cities and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Targets included Israeli forces at Marj opposite the border town of Markaba, near the Khiam detention center, Khallat al-Asafir, Hammams Hill, and the settlement of Kfar Giladi in northern Israel.

As of Friday, the Israeli military had not commented on Hezbollah’s claims.

The attacks come amid ongoing Israeli operations in Lebanon since March 2, which have killed 687 people, wounded 1,774, and displaced about 822,000.

The escalation began after US and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 killed hundreds, including former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, prompting regional retaliation.

Hezbollah, an Iranian ally, said it targeted northern Israel on March 2 despite a ceasefire in place since November 2024, in response to Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanese territory.

Israel launched airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and areas in southern and eastern Lebanon and began a limited ground incursion on March 3.

*Writing by Lina Altawell