Israel detects 80 rockets fired from Lebanon towards northern settlements

By Zein Khalil

ISTANBUL (AA) – Israel said on Tuesday that its forces detected 80 rockets launched from Lebanon toward border settlements, some of which were intercepted and others caused fires in two separate locations, according to Israeli media.

Channel 12 reported that around 80 rockets were fired from Lebanon since Tuesday morning. While some were intercepted, others landed in open areas in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel.

The Haaretz daily reported that rockets caused fires in two locations in northern Israel. Firefighters were working to put out the fires.

Throughout the morning, air raid sirens were heard in several Israeli settlements near the Lebanese border.

Hezbollah said in a statement that it launched a series of drone attacks on the headquarters of the 7th Armored Brigade of the Golan Division 210 at the Katzavya base, targeting officers and soldiers stationed there.

However, the Israeli army claimed that it "successfully intercepted some of the targets (rockets and drones) and the rest fell in the area of the Golan Heights," without providing any additional information or casualties.

“Following the sirens that sounded at 19:38 in the area of Shtula, 19:48 in the areas of Shomera and Fassuta, and 20:12 in the area of Mattat, approximately 40 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon and falling in the areas,” the Israeli army said in a statement.

The Israeli army claimed that it had targeted two Hezbollah military structures in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli army also confirmed that earlier in the day, Israeli warplanes targeted a military building in the Matmoura area of southern Lebanon that Hezbollah operatives used, as well as another Hezbollah military structure in the area.

The Lebanon-based group in a separate statement said its fighters used Katyusha rockets to target the Shomera and Mattat bases and their surrounding areas, as well as heavy artillery to hit the Ramia site.

Fears of a full-fledged war between Israel and Hezbollah have grown amid an exchange of cross-border attacks, especially after the July 30 assassination of senior Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukr in Beirut.

The escalation comes against the backdrop of a deadly Israeli onslaught on Gaza, which has killed over 40,170 people since last October following an attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio