Israeli army says 'a Hezbollah rocket' hit Qlaya, after initially claiming the attack

BEIRUT — The Israeli army claimed Thursday that "based on an investigation," a Hezbollah rocket struck a house in Qlaya, a predominantly Christian village in the Marjayoun district.

On March 9, three Israeli artillery shells struck a house in Qlaya, killing local priest Pierre al-Rai, our regional correspondent reported. At the time, the Israeli army released a statement claiming a strike on the village targeted Hezbollah fighters.

In a March 12 statement on X, the Arabic spokesperson for the Israeli army, Ella Waweya, said that a "rocket" fired by Hezbollah toward Israel "fell on a house in the village of Qlaya, on Lebanese territory." She emphasized that this was the case for "many projectiles" that fall within Lebanese territory.

The statement contradicts the earlier Israeli statement.

On Monday, municipality President Hanna Daher denied Israeli claims regarding the presence of Hezbollah fighters in the village, denouncing "lies."

In a separate incident on March 8, while watering his plants, another man in his 70s was killed in an Israeli drone strike on Alma al-Shaab, a predominantly Christian village in the South. Due to Israeli threats, the village evacuated its residents earlier this week.

According to the tally published by the Health Ministry on Wednesday evening, Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed 687 people since March 2.