Hezbollah launched dozens of rockets from Lebanon, as fears of full-scale war with Israel continue to mount.
The Iran-backed group said it was acting in response to Israel’s attacks on Kfarkela and Deir Siriane in Lebanon which, it said, had injured civilians there.
Some 50 rockets were reportedly fired from southern Lebanon towards upper Galilee, according to Israeli media.
The crisis in the Middle East has intensified following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, a day after an Israeli strike in Beirut killed Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah commander.
Recent video footage revealed Israel’s Iron Dome defence system being activated.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed “most” of approximately 30 “projectiles” fired on Saturday night had been intercepted. No one was injured.
Israel said it fired back at missile launch positions in Lebanon.
It said: “Following the sirens that sounded in northern Israel overnight, approximately 30 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon, most of which were intercepted by the IDF Aerial Defense Array.
“Shortly after, the IAF struck the Hezbollah launcher from which the projectiles were launched and additional terrorist infrastructure in the area of Marjaayoun in southern Lebanon.”
Hezbollah confirmed the strike in a statement: “In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their valiant and honourable resistance, and in response to the Israeli enemy’s attacks on the steadfast southern villages and safe homes, especially the attacks that targeted the villages of Kafrkila and Deir Siryan and injured civilians, the Islamic Resistance included the new settlement of Beit Hillel in its fire schedule and bombarded it for the first time with dozens of Katyusha rockets.”
Officials in Washington and Israel expect Iran and its proxies could attack Israel with force as early as Monday, according to the US Axios news site, but they did not speculate on whether Iran and Hezbollah would coordinate their actions.
Michael Kurilla, the US general in charge of American forces in the Middle East, arrived in the region on a planned trip on Saturday, expected to try to mobilise the same international and regional coalition that defended Israel against an attack from Iran on April 13, a US official said.
Travellers are being advised to avoid Israel and several airlines have suspended flights to Beirut and Tel Aviv.
Flights to Beirut by Air France and low-cost carrier Transavia France will remain halted until at least Tuesday, their parent company said on Saturday.
Turkish Airlines on Saturday cancelled its night-time flights to Tehran for the second night running, AFP correspondents reported.
