UPDATE - Israel says 30 rockets fired from Lebanon hit Upper Galilee

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS

By Zein Khalil, Stephanie Rady

JERUSALEM / BEIRUT (AA) - Israel on Saturday said 30 rockets were fired from Lebanon, landing in open areas in the Upper Galilee, northern Israel.

In a statement, the Israeli army said: “About 30 shells were fired from Lebanon and fell in the Metat area in the Upper Galilee without causing injuries."

“Following airstrikes on multiple rocket-launching platforms last night (Friday), Israeli fighter jets attacked a Hezbollah rocket-launch platform in the Yater area (Bint Jbeil District in southern Lebanon) during the night,” the army added.

Israeli private Channel 12 said the rockets fired from Lebanon targeted the Mount Meron illegal settlement in northern Israel.

On Saturday morning, air raid sirens were activated in Metat illegal settlement and Mount Meron in the Upper Galilee, warning of rocket fire.

Separately, a house was directly hit, and a fire broke out in two illegal settlements in northern Israel’s Upper Galilee following rocket strikes from southern Lebanon, according to Israeli Army Radio.

The Army Radio confirmed that eight more rockets had been fired from Lebanon toward western Galilee, with some landing in open areas without causing any injuries.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli Home Front Command instructed residents of 13 illegal settlements in the Upper Galilee to stay close to shelters and avoid gatherings due to fears of renewed rocket fire from Hezbollah.

Hezbollah confirmed it launched Katyusha rockets at the Israeli military base on Mount Neria.

In a statement, the group said its forces "fired salvos of Katyusha rockets at the Mount Neria military base."

It said the attack was "in response to the Israeli enemy's assaults on southern villages and peaceful homes, especially the recent attack on the village of Froun."

Hezbollah said its fighters also targeted the Israeli military site Hadab Yaron with artillery shells.

The state-run National News Agency, meanwhile, reported intermittent Israeli artillery shelling on the town of Aita al-Shaab, Bint Jbeil district. No further details were provided.

Israeli warplanes also carried out airstrikes on the forested areas of the town of Kunin in the Nabatiyeh region, using air-to-ground missiles.

Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been exchanging near-daily fire across the border since the conflict in Gaza that started last October.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi