The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday morning intercepted a “suspicious aerial target” that crossed into the Jewish state from Lebanon, the military said.
“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago regarding a hostile aircraft infiltration in the areas of Manara and Kiryat Shmona, a suspicious aerial target that crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory was intercepted,” the IDF stated.
“Missiles and rocket sirens were activated due to concerns of falling debris from the interceptor,” it added.
Air-raid sirens sounded in the city of Kiryat Shmona, Moshav Margaliot and Kibbutz Manara, sending over 25,000 civilians running for bomb shelters, according to the IDF’s Home Front Command.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday said that Jerusalem held off on major strikes in Beirut at the request of the United States, but would attack the Lebanese capital if Hezbollah continued firing.
“Yesterday, the prime minister and I, together with the IDF, led a move to establish the equation that Dahiyeh in Beirut will be treated the same as Israel’s northern communities,” he said, referencing the Lebanese capital’s suburb where the Iranian-backed terror group maintains a large presence.
Katz claimed the Trump administration “endorsed the principle” set out by Israel and warned the Lebanese government and other parties that the IDF could respond in Beirut.
He said Jerusalem’s stance was reflected in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday night.
Trump said earlier on Monday that he had spoken with Netanyahu, “asking him not to go into a major raid of Beirut, Lebanon.”
“He turned his troops around. Thank you Bibi,” the president said. “I also had a conversation with representatives of the leaders of Hezbollah, and they agreed to stop shooting at Israel and its soldiers. Likewise, Israel agreed to stop shooting at them.”
“Let’s see how long that lasts,” Trump stated. “Hopefully it will be for eternity.”
Hezbollah’s attacks resumed some three hours after Trump’s announcement, with air-raid sirens sounding in the eastern Galilee town of Metula. The IDF said the alarms were triggered after a Hezbollah rocket struck near its soldiers operating in Southern Lebanon. No injuries were reported.
