IDF strikes Lebanon as rockets pummel central Israel

Terrorists in Lebanon fired a salvo of rockets at northern Israel on Thursday evening, setting off air raid sirens in Kiryat Shmona and the Upper Galilee region.

“Following the initial report of alerts in the northern region, about ten launches were identified that crossed from Lebanese territory into Israeli territory,” the Israel Defense Forces said.

“The IDF is attacking in Lebanese territory in response to the shooting,” added the statement.

The incident came an hour after three rockets from Lebanon hit the city of Kiryat Shmona, which has largely been evacuated due to the incessant threat from Lebanon.

One rocket hit an abandoned apartment building, causing a fire, Army Radio reported.

The Al-Fajr Forces, an affiliate of the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, took responsibility for the attack, Hebrew media reported. In addition, Hamas in Lebanon took responsibility for firing rockets towards the area of Nahariya.

Shortly before the attack on Kiryat Shmona, Lebanese terrorists fired three rockets at the Upper Galilee.

Two of the projectiles were intercepted while the third hit in an open area, causing no damage, the IDF said.

The IDF said it responded with artillery shelling against the sources of the rocket fire.

Earlier on Thursday, Israeli forces struck a terrorist cell attempting to fire anti-tank missiles from Lebanon at the area of Moshav Avivim in the Upper Galilee.

The strike came shortly after the IDF said that it fired at the source of several rocket launches from Lebanon.

The enemy projectiles hit in open areas in the Mount Dov area. There were no initial reports of casualties or damage.

Meanwhile, warning sirens sounded in communities close to the Gaza Strip on Sunday afternoon, hours after terrorists fired a large rocket salvo at central Israel just after noon.

A man was injured while running to a protected area in Herzliya, a building was on fire in Ramat Gan and rocket parts were found in Rishon LeZion.

The red alerts were heard in Givat Hen, Herzliya, Hod Hasharon, Holon, Kfar Malal, Kfar Saba, Mishmar Hashiva, Ra’anana, Ramat HaSharon, Ramot Hashavim, Rishon Lezion and Tel Aviv.

The UNIFIL peacekeeping force in Southern Lebanon said on Sunday that one of its members was injured the previous day when shells hit the mission’s base near the village of Houla.

The Iranian proxy Hezbollah has been attacking Israeli territory from Lebanon every day since the Hamas pogrom of Oct. 7, with Israel firing back at the terrorists.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was seen for the first time in three weeks, in a video in which he passes by the camera in front of the terrorist group’s logo.