The Israel army claims it has intercepted a rocket that was fired from Lebanon in response to Israeli police attacking Palestinians inside Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site for Muslims all over the world. A video of Iron Dome interceptor missiles was posted by a military correspondent.
Lebanon and Israel have been in conflict for years. “A rocket was fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory and was successfully intercepted,” an army statement said on Thursday. The army added that warning sirens were alarmed in the town of Shlomi and in Moshav Betzet in northern Israel.
Lebanese security sources told Reuters news agency that a second rocket attack was also launched from southern Lebanon. Israel responded with a burst of artillery fire back across the border.
Later, the Israeli army tweeted that over 30 rockets were fired from Lebaonn out of which 25 were intercepted. It claimed that at least four landed in Israel. These rockets could worsen an already bitter relationship between Lebanon and Israel.
As per the Lebanese report, "several shells from its positions on the border" were fired by Israeli artillery as a result of the rockets from Lebanon. The Israeli military has denied the claim, telling AFP that it did not retaliate.
Security sources told Reuters that the missiles were launched by Palestinian groups and not the armed Hezbollah organisation.
Hezbollah is in charge of maintaining security in southern Lebanon and has engaged with Israel in a conflict in the past.
Three persons were hurt by the rocket fire, according to the MDA ambulance service in Israel, including a 60-year-old woman who was hurt while attempting to run to a nearby shelter and a 19-year-old man who had shrapnel wounds and was in fair condition.
The UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, said in a statement that there had been “multiple rocket launches from southern Lebanon toward Israel” and the Israeli army had informed UNIFIL that it activated its Iron Dome defence system in response.
Reportedly, a child was injured in the rocket fire. Some media reports say that Israeli residents in the area are being asked to move to safe areas.
The fire comes as Israeli forces attack Palestinian worshippers which led to regional condemnation of Israel.
According to the Times of Israel, the security cabinet is soon to convene on rocket barrages.
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