Israel has fired artillery at targets in Lebanon in response to four rockets being launched towards Israel from Lebanese territory, the Israeli military says.
Key points:
- The rockets triggered air raid sirens across northern areas of Israel
- They had been fired from Seddiqine, a village in Lebanon’s southern coastal city of Tyre
- The Israeli Defence Force said they retaliated by firing at targets in Lebanon
Israel’s missile defences intercepted one of the projectiles from Lebanon and “the rest most likely fell in open areas”, the military said.
The rockets caused air raid sirens to blare in the northern Israeli city of Haifa and areas to the east.
Security sources in Lebanon confirmed four rockets had been launched towards Israel from Seddiqine, a village in the region of Lebanon’s southern coastal city of Tyre.
It was not immediately clear who fired the rockets and there were no reports of damage on either side.
It was the third incident of rocket fire from Lebanon since hostilities between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza flared up on May 10.
On Monday, six shells were fired from Lebanon towards northern Israel but fell short of the border, drawing retaliatory Israeli artillery fire.
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Israel fought a war in 2006 against Hezbollah guerrillas, who have sway in southern Lebanon and access to advanced rockets. The border has been mostly quiet since then.
Netanyahu refuses to back down despite pressure from US
Shortly after the incident with Lebanon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to press ahead with his nation’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip, as he pushed back against calls from the United States President Joe Biden to move towards a ceasefire.
Mr Netanyahu’s tough comments marked the first public rift between the two close allies since the fighting began last week.
After a visit to military headquarters, Mr Netanyahu said he “greatly appreciates the support of the American President,” but said Israel will push ahead “to return the calm and security to you, citizens of Israel.”
He said he is “determined to continue this operation until its aim is met.”
He spoke shortly after Mr Biden told Mr Netanyahu “that he expected a significant de-escalation today on the path to a ceasefire,” the White House said.
Mr Biden had previously avoided pressing Israel more directly and publicly for a ceasefire with Gaza’s Hamas militant rulers.
‘Nothing but destruction’
Earlier in the day, the Israeli military said it was widening its strikes on militant targets in southern Gaza to blunt continuing rocket fire from Hamas.
At least nine people were killed in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
Since then, Israel has pounded Gaza with hundreds of air strikes it says are targeting Hamas’ militant infrastructure.
Hamas and other militant groups embedded in residential areas have fired more than 3,700 rockets at Israeli cities, with hundreds falling short and most of the rest intercepted by Israel’s iron dome.
At least 227 Palestinians have been killed, including 64 children and 38 women, with 1,620 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not break the numbers down into fighters and civilians.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed, while Israel says the number is at least 130. About 58,000 Palestinians have fled their homes.
Twelve people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy, a 16-year-old girl and a soldier, have been killed.
In the Gaza Strip, one of the Israeli air strikes destroyed the home of an extended family.
Residents surveyed the piles of bricks, concrete and other debris that had once been the home of 40 members of al-Astal family in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis.
They said a warning missile struck the building five minutes before the air strike, allowing everyone to escape.
Ahmed al-Astal, a university professor, described a scene of panic, with men, women and children racing out of the building.
“We had just gotten down to the street, breathless, when the devastating bombardment came,” he said.
The Israeli military said it struck a militant tunnel network around the towns of Khan Younis and Rafah, with 40 underground targets hit.
Reuters/AP
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