Israel hits back after rockets fired from Lebanon; destroys Gaza cancer facility

Israeli artillery and airstrikes hit south Lebanon on Saturday after Israel said it had intercepted rockets fired from across the border, endangering a shaky truce that ended a year-long war between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

That conflict marked the deadliest spillover of the Gaza war, and a blistering Israeli offensive after months of cross-border exchanges of fire wiped out Hezbollah’s top commanders, many of its fighters and much of its arsenal.

Hezbollah denied responsibility for Saturday’s strikes, saying it had “no link” to the rocket launches and that it remained committed to the ceasefire. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

An Israeli official said the identity of the group which fired the rockets had not been confirmed. Six rockets were fired, the official said, three of which crossed into Israel and were intercepted.

Saturday’s exchange was the first since Israel in effect abandoned a separate ceasefire in Gaza with Palestinian militant group Hamas, an ally of Hezbollah, both backed by Israel’s arch-foe Iran.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces advanced deeper into the Gaza Strip and blew up the only specialised cancer hospital in the war-torn territory, as Israeli leaders vowed to capture more land until Hamas releases its remaining hostages.

The hospital was located in the Netzarim Corridor, which splits Gaza in two and was controlled by Israeli troops for most of the 17-month-long war. Israel moved to retake the corridor this week shortly after breaking the ceasefire with Hamas. The truce had facilitated the release of more than two dozen hostages.