Lebanese army soldiers deployed in the southern suburbs of Beirut after an Israeli strike on Hadath, March 28, 2025. (Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient-Le Jour)
BEIRUT — Lebanese Army chief Rodolph Haykal said Saturday that troops had arrested several suspects linked to rocket fire from southern Lebanon toward northern Israel, which prompted Israeli retaliatory strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs the previous day.
"The rocket fire from Lebanese territory toward the occupied Palestinian territories serves the enemy," said General Haykal during a visit to the southern Litani sector command at the Benoit Barakat barracks in Sour. "The army is conducting necessary investigations to uncover the perpetrators of the firing and has arrested a number of suspects who will be subject to investigation," he continued.
Haykal emphasized the role of army units deployed in southern Lebanon, calling it fundamental to national security and stability. He reiterated the military’s commitment to protecting Lebanon and its citizens, regardless of their affiliations. He also criticized Israel’s continued occupation of Lebanese territory and repeated border violations of Lebanon's national sovereignty, adding that it's the "only obstacle" for the army's complete deployment and maintaining the cease-fire.
"We are determined to implement Resolution 1701 and the cease-fire agreement ... in line with President Joseph Aoun's instructions and with the government's commitment," he concluded, assuring continued "cooperation, coordination and joint missions with UNIFIL."
On Sunday, L'Orient Today's correspondent in South Lebanon reported that several Syrians and Palestinians were detained near the missile launch site in southern Lebanon. They were questioned before eventually being released, clarifying the brief information reported earlier that day by Al-Arabiya, which cited a Lebanese security source.
The latest escalation comes four months after a November cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, which ended an attrition war that began on Oct. 8, 2023. On Friday, Israel launched its first airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs since the truce began, targeting a building in Hadath after issuing evacuation warnings on social media around an hour in advance. On Friday, at least six people were killed by Israeli fire in southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
This is the latest in many incidents, as Israeli violations since the cease-fire began have resulted in the killing of at least 117 people in Lebanon, according to our count.
For its part, Hezbollah denied involvement in the rocket fire and accused Israel of seeking "pretexts to justify continued aggression against Lebanon."
UNIFIL comes under Israeli fire in the South
Tensions remained high in the South despite relative calm on Saturday. A UNIFIL patrol from the French battalion came under fire from an Israeli position while inspecting an embankment erected by Israeli forces at Wadi Qatmoun, near the border village of Rmeish in the Bint Jbeil district.
Meanwhile, Israeli troops fired machine guns at homes and vehicles in the eastern neighborhoods of Kfar Shuba in the Hasbaya district. Earlier on Saturday, Israeli forces also dropped two stun grenades in the village square of Yaroun, Bint Jbeil district, causing no reported injuries, according to our regional correspondent.