Hezbollah fires 50 rockets at Israel

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) identified early Sunday morning some 50 rockets fired in several volleys from Lebanon, an attack claimed by the Shiite terrorist group Hezbollah.

Air raid sirens were activated four times during the night: at around 00:57 a.m. and 2:35 a.m., in the Kiryat Shmona area, “approximately 20 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon,” and at 05:35 a.m., in Upper Galilee, “approximately 30 projectiles were identified,” the IDF spokesman said in a statement.

The Air Defense System "successfully intercepted several projectiles" and the rest fell in unpopulated areas and also in the evacuated city of Kiryat Shmona, he added, specifying that "no injuries were reported."

Authorities in the town bordering Lebanon reported that one rocket directly hit a building and another hit a sidewalk, causing extensive damage, while Israel's Home Front Command (Civil Defense) will conduct an assessment to decide whether to cancel classes in the entire northern area.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was "in response to enemy attacks (…) especially against medical teams in the city of Froun, which resulted in deaths and injuries among members of the Civil Defense."

Lebanese sources linked to Hezbollah said at least three members of the Lebanese Civil Defense who were trying to put out a fire caused by an Israeli attack in Froun, in southern Lebanon, were killed on Saturday and two others were wounded when Israel attacked the same area again.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the attacks on Sunday, saying that they "eliminated terrorists from the Amal terrorist organization operating within a Hezbollah military structure in the Froun area."

In parallel, the IDF also attacked "Hezbollah military structures in the areas of Aitarun, Marun El Ras and Yarun, in southern Lebanon."

The border between Israel and Lebanon is at its highest point of tension since 2006, with an intense exchange of fire since October, when Hezbollah began attacking the Jewish state in solidarity with the Palestinian Islamic terrorist group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, in its war against Israel.

Agencies contributed to this Aurora article