Hezbollah fired 62 rockets at an Israeli military base, early Saturday morning, as a response to the killing of Hamas’s deputy leader, Saleh al-Arouri.
The Iran-backed group stated that it has targeted the Meron air control base with 62 various types of missiles as part of the “initial response to the crime of assassinating the great leader.” In retaliation, the Israeli army launched a series of air strikes on Aita al-Shaab, Hula and Rweiss in southern Lebanon.
Al-Arouri’s killing on Tuesday in the southern Beirut suburb, the main headquarters of Hezbollah, has raised fears of further escalation, as US defense official affirmed it was carried out by Israel.
However, the Hebrew state has not claimed responsibility for the strike, the first ever in Beirut’s southern suburb since 2006.
The Israeli military said it had identified around 40 rocket launches originated from Lebanese territory on Saturday morning, adding in a statement that they had promptly targeted a cell responsible for some of the launches.
Air raid sirens were activated in towns and cities across northern Israel, and later in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights as well.
Overnight, the Israeli army targeted an unoccupied house in Aita al-Shaab, resulting in its destruction and causing damage to several cars, and to the water and electricity networks as well. This was followed by a second raid on the outskirts of the town.
The Israeli army targeted the outskirts of the towns of Naqoura and Labbouneh, while the Israeli reconnaissance flew over the villages of the western and central sectors throughout the past night and until this morning, reaching the outskirts of the city of Tyre. The Israeli army also launched flares over the bordering villages adjacent to the Blue Line.
The villages of the central sector in Maroun al-Ras and the city of Bint Jbeil witnessed low-altitude flights of military aircraft and sonic booms over the southern towns.
