WAR ROOM: MISSILES FIRED FROM LEBANON INTO ISRAEL, IDF RESPONDS WITH ARTILLERY FIRE [WATCH]
Color Red sirens sounded in northern Israel as three rockets were fired at Israel from Lebanon on Wednesday afternoon. Two rockets crossed the border, landing inside Israeli territory, while the third remained inside Lebanon.
Four Israelis were treated for shock and the rockets ignited a fire in a field adjacent to the city of Kiryat Shemona. The mayor of Kiryat Shemon instructed residents to remain close to bomb shelters until further notice.
The IDF responded with artillery fire targeting Hezbollah military targets inside Lebanon. The Hezbollah-affiliated al-Manar television station reported that the IDF fired six shells toward areas surrounding the town of Khiam. Media reports citing IDF officials suggested that Palestinian factions inside Lebanon may have been responsible for the rocket fire. It is unlikely that a Palestinian group would be able to operate inside Lebanon without the consent or without coordinating with Hezbollah.
Three rockets were fired into northern Israel from Lebanon Wednesday shortly after noon, causing warning sirens to sound in the Kiryat Shmona area. Two rockets hit open areas, while the third fell short of the border.
There were no reports of casualties in the attack, though the Magen David Adom emergency medical service treated four people for anxiety attacks.
In response, the Israel Defense Forces fired artillery shells at targets in Lebanon just after the attack. Some two hours later it followed up with a second and a third round
Israel conveyed to Lebanon via UN peacekeepers that it could intensify its response if calm were not returned to the border.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in a statement that he had sent a “strong message to UNIFIL over the rocket fire from Lebanon.”
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Gantz and IDF chief Aviv Kohavi held discussions with top military brass to review Israel’s potential courses of action.
The alarms sounded shortly after 12 p.m. in Kiryat Shmona, Kfar Giladi, and Tel Hai, near Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. The IDF said it identified three launches from Lebanon. One failed and fell inside Lebanese territory, while two others hit open areas inside Israel.
The surprise sirens sent residents scrambling to shelters in the frontier town. Explosions were heard in the area and videos showed smoke rising from an impact site. One of the rockets caused a large fire in a field near Kiryat Shmona.
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