By Zein Khalil
JERUSALEM (AA) – The Israeli army claimed on Saturday that five rockets were launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel amid escalating tensions along the border.
In a brief statement, the Israeli army said that "following the sirens activated in Emek Yizrael and Wadi Ara, approximately five rockets were launched from Lebanon."
The army said some of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system, while the rest landed in open areas. At the moment, no group has claimed responsibility for the rocket launch.
Initial assessments indicate that the rockets targeted the Ramat David Airbase, a strategic military facility located southeast of Haifa in the Emek Yizrael region, Israeli news outlet Walla reported.
Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed over 41,800 people, most of them women and children, following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October.
At least 2,011 people have since been killed, over 9,500 injured, and 1.2 million others displaced, according to Lebanese authorities.
The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.
* Writing by Ikram Kouachi