Israel is under heavy fire from Lebanon for the first time in over a decade and a half. In total, at least 34 rockets were fired on Israeli territory from the neighboring country, the army said. The national missile defense system Iron Dome (Eiserner Dom) intercepted 25 missiles. Five rockets landed in Israeli territory. The whereabouts of four other people are being investigated. According to Israeli media reports, this was Lebanon’s heaviest bombing since 2006.
Israel and Lebanon are officially at war. There is always tension on the border. It was not clear which group was behind the attacks. Lebanese security circles said most of the flying objects were so-called Katyusha rockets. They are mostly used by Palestinian groups.
According to the Israeli rescue service Magen David Adom, at least two people in northern Israel were slightly injured. A 19-year-old youth suffered minor injuries from shrapnel. A 60-year-old woman was injured on her way to a shelter. In addition, other people should have been treated for symptoms of stress, she said. Sirens could be heard in several places. Local residents were instructed to seek shelter. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has summoned the security cabinet for the night.
Attacks also from the Gaza Strip
For the second consecutive day, Palestinian attackers launched rocket attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip. There were no reports of injuries. For two days straight, Israeli and Palestinian police clashed on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. According to eyewitnesses, the police tried to drive the Palestinians out of the al-Aqsa mosque, using stun grenades and rubber bullets.
According to Israeli police, they felt compelled to act on the first night after “masked agitators” hid in the premises. More than 350 people were arrested and taken away. According to rescue teams, dozens of people were injured, including Israeli security forces.
The Red Crescent accused the Israelis of preventing paramedics from reaching the mosque. The Temple Mount in Jerusalem is a sacred site for both Muslims and Jews. Tensions have risen there in recent years. This year, an added complication is that the Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan, coincides with both Passover and Christian Passover, meaning more people from all religious groups are visiting the site.
The latest escalation comes amid raids by Israeli security forces in the West Bank in recent months that have killed more than 250 Palestinians and arrested thousands. More than 40 Israelis and three Ukrainians were killed in Palestinian attacks.