UPDATE - Israeli army hits Lebanese territory with artillery

UPDATES WITH INJURIES; REVISES DECK

By Idiris Okuduci

ANKARA, BEIRUT (AA) – The Israeli army on Sunday confirmed its artillery attack inside Lebanon in response to a rocket firing incident.

The Israeli forces “are now attacking with artillery fire the area in Lebanon from where shooting was carried out a few minutes ago into Israeli territory,” the Israeli army said in a statement.

The Israeli army stated that it is “prepared for all scenarios, and will continue to protect the security of the residents of the State of Israel.”

Two children were injured in the Israeli attack and were taken to a nearby hospital, according to the Lebanese official news agency NNA.

Israel shelled the Kafar Shuba hills and the al-Mari town in south Lebanon after a mortar attack, according to an Anadolu reporter.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah claimed on Sunday the responsibility for targeting three Israeli posts in the Shebaa Farms area.

“On the path to liberate the remaining part of our occupied Lebanese land and in solidarity with the victorious Palestinian resistance and the steadfast Palestinian people, the groups of the martyr commander Hajj Imad Moghniyeh in the Islamic Resistance carried out an attack this Sunday, October 08, 2023, targeting 3 Zionist occupation sites in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms region,” Hezbollah said in a statement.

There was no comment from the Lebanese authorities on the incident.

Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on Saturday and said the surprise attack was in response to the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and increased settler violence. It said it fired rockets and captured many Israelis.

In turn, the Israeli army initiated Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

About 750 Israelis have been missing since fighting broke out on Saturday morning, local media reported early Sunday.

At least 313 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 2,000 others injured in the attacks, according to medical sources in Gaza, while the Israeli death toll climbed to 350.

More than 3,000 rockets have been launched by Hamas toward Israel since Saturday morning, according to the Israeli army.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi and Zehra Nur Duz