It has been reported by the Israeli news media outlets that around 30 rockets were fired from Lebanon into the Israeli territory on Thursday. Half of these had been intercepted following which Israel responded with a burst of cross-border artillery fire, officials said.
In the barrage of rocket attacks 5 landed in Israel resulting in at least one man sustaining minor shrapnel injuries. No responsibility for the attacks has been made known so far but three security sources are sensing Palestinian factions in Lebanon to be behind this. Hezbollah, the elephant in the room however, is not believed to have a hand in this.
This comes at this significant time of surging tensions post the Israeli police raids on the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. This incident also cannot be understood in separation from the fact that Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Islamist group Hamas, was visiting Lebanon the same day.
The UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon has set out a written statement wherein it described the prevailing situation as “extremely serious” and urged restraint.
