UPDATE - Israel claims 43 rockets fired from Lebanon towards Galilee, Haifa Bay

CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK LEDE; ADDS DETAILS

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army on Saturday claimed 43 rockets were launched from Lebanon towards the Upper, Western, and Lower Galilee and Haifa Bay in northern Israel.

According to an army statement on X, some of the rockets fired in the morning were successfully intercepted while some fell in open areas.

Earlier, air raid sirens sounded in the cities of Acre, Kfar Masaryk, and the industrial area of Sha'ar HaNegev, as well as in Ein HaMifratz and Kiryat Bialik.

A massive Israeli air campaign in Lebanon has been ongoing since late September against what it claims are Hezbollah targets, an escalation in year-long cross-border warfare since the start of the Gaza war.

More than 3,100 people have been killed and over 13,800 injured in Israeli attacks since October 2023, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Israel launched a ground assault into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi