Israeli military says Hezbollah launches surface-to-air missiles at air force aircraft

Tel Aviv: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said that it detected surface-to-air missile launches by Hezbollah, targeting Israeli Air Force aircraft.

In a statement Friday night, the IDF added that the incident concluded with no injuries or damage to the aircraft.

The launch activated air raid sirens in the city of Kiryat Shmona and eight villages in northeast Israel, close to the Lebanese border, sending thousands of residents rushing to shelters, reports Xinhua news agency.

The developments came despite Israel and Lebanon agreeing on Wednesday to implement a ceasefire following trilateral negotiations in Washington.

Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has slammed Iran for using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the United States and criticised Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem, saying the Lebanese people were tired of war and deserved to live in peace.

Aoun made the remarks in an interview with CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour, which was released by the Lebanese Presidency on Friday (local time).

On Thursday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement that Iran’s primary condition for accepting the April 8 truce with the United States and Israel was a comprehensive ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon.

“This is not your country; it is our country,” said Aoun in the interview, noting it was unacceptable for regional powers to use Lebanon to advance their own interests while Lebanese civilians continued to bear the consequences of conflict through deaths, displacement, and destruction.

The Lebanese president stressed that negotiations remain the only viable way to end the conflict between Lebanon and Israel. He noted that the Lebanese state and government must address the Hezbollah issue domestically by tackling the root causes behind the group’s armed presence, including Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory and an end to the conflict.

Aoun noted that the overwhelming majority of Lebanese from all sects and regions were exhausted by decades of conflict.

“They are the Lebanese people, not Naim Qassem’s people,” said Aoun, commenting on statements by Qassem opposing the agreement and threatening to bring down the government through street protests.