Rocket salvo from Lebanon targets Israel after Al-Aqsa clashes

FASSUTA (Israel): A barrage of rockets was fired from Lebanon at Israel on the Jewish Passover vacation Thursday, within the largest escalation alongside the frontier since Israel and Hezbollah fought a 34-day conflict in 2006.

Israel’s military mentioned it had “recognized 34 rockets that had been fired from Lebanese territory into Israeli territory” and that 25 had been intercepted by Israeli air defences.

“5 rockets landed in Israeli territory,” added the military assertion that adopted the assault, which was not instantly claimed by any group.

The rocket hearth got here simply days after Israeli police drew widespread condemnation and warnings of retaliation from across the area for clashing with Palestinians inside Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque — Islam’s third-holiest web site.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday was “receiving steady updates in regards to the safety scenario and can conduct an evaluation with the heads of the safety institution”, his workplace mentioned.

Israeli emergency companies reported a person had been frivolously wounded by shrapnel and a feminine was injured whereas operating to a shelter.

The United Nations Interim Drive in Lebanon known as for restraint.

“The present scenario is extraordinarily critical,” mentioned the drive which patrols the border space between the 2 international locations which might be technically nonetheless at conflict. “UNIFIL urges restraint and to keep away from additional escalation.” Warning sirens sounded within the city of Shlomi and in Moshav Betzet and the Galilee in northern Israel, the military mentioned.

The Israeli navy denied to AFP that it had retaliated “so far”, in response to stories from Lebanon’s Nationwide Information Company that Israel had struck targets in southern Lebanon.

In keeping with the Lebanon report, Israeli artillery fired “a number of shells from its positions on the border” in the direction of the outskirts of two villages after the launch of “a number of Katyusha sort rockets” at Israel.

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant had been briefed on the main points of the occasions on Israel’s northern border, a spokesman mentioned. “The minister will quickly conduct a scenario evaluation with senior officers within the defence institution,” he added.