Hezbollah fires rockets into Israel from Lebanon - The Jerusalem Post

A heavy barrage of close to 20 rockets was fired from Lebanon into northern Israel on Friday, activating the Iron Dome and setting off sirens throughout the area.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks.

المقاومة الإسلامية "
رداً على الغارات الإسرائيلية على أراضٍ مفتوحة في منطقتي الجرمق والشواكير ، قامت مجموعات الشهيد علي كامل محسن والشهيد محمد قاسم طحان في المقاومة الإسلامية بقصف أراضٍ مفتوحة في محيط مواقع الاحتلال الإسرائيلي في مزارع شبعا بعشرات الصواريخ من عيار 122 ملم
— علي شعيب || Ali Shoeib (@alishoeib1970) August 6, 2021

The Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted 10 rockets, with 6 falling in open areas near Har Dov on the Lebanese border. The others fell inside Lebanon.

Incoming rocket sirens were activated in northern Israeli communities bordering the Lebanese and Syrian borders including Ein Kuniya, Neveh Ativ and Snir, near Israel’s northern border with Lebanon and Syria.

There were no injuries or casualties.

IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Ran Kohav told reporters that Hezbollah deliberately fired to open areas and not towards civilians.

“If Hezbollah wanted to carry out a significant response, they have the ability to do so,” he said.

According to Kohav, the Lebanese Armed Forces caught the mobile multi-barreled rocket launcher and the Hezbollah fighters who carried out the attack.

The IDF initially responded with artillery fire toward the Mount Dov - Shebaa Farms - area in Lebanon, from where the rocket fire originated.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett convened an emergency gathering of senior officials at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv including Defense Minister Benny Gantz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi and others to discuss Israel's options.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz conducting a security meeting with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi and others in the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, August 6, 2021. (photographer: DEFENSE MINISTRY)

— ORI - WorldNews IL (@OriElmakayes) August 6, 2021

— Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) August 6, 2021

It was the sixth such attack in recent months and the first where Hezbollah said it was behind.

According to a statement released by the group, the barrage was fired in response to the Israel Air Force airstrikes carried out early Thursday morning after Palestinian militants fired three rockets towards the northern city of Kiryat Shemona on Wednesday.

The IDF had initially retaliated Wednesday by firing some 100 artillery shells towards the launch sites and later carried out airstrikes.

The strikes targeted the areas from which the rockets were fired as well as other locations where rockets had been fired in the past. The IAF also struck additional infrastructure used for terrorism, a statement released by the military said.

According to IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Ran Kohav, “Hezbollah has tried to show that it is responding to these attacks” and that the group has “no choice but to respond” to Israeli strikes.

“We have no interest in escalation but we will continue to work to ensure that the northern border does not become a line of confrontation,” he said. “We will not accept that this continues; that every two to three weeks there is firing towards the north.”

On Friday Instructions were sent to the residents of Kiryat Shmona, stating that shelters that opened on Tuesday following rocket fire from previous days will remain open over the weekend to give residents a sense of security. Mayor Avihay Shtern and the Municipal Chief of Staff Dekel Arieh are in continuous contact with military officials.

In a statement on Twitter, United Nations Item Force Lebanon called the rocket attack “a very serious situation” and urged both parties to ceasefire.

“We have no interest in escalation, but we will continue to work to ensure that the northern border does not become a line of confrontation,” Kohav said, stressing that “no side wants war, but on the other hand we are not ready to accept rocket fire to continue.”

Adblock test (Why?)