Hezbollah claims rocket attacks deep into northern Israel
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photo: Collected
Hezbollah launched rocket attacks deep into northern Israel to protest the killing of civilians in Lebanon. The armed group claimed that dozens of rockets were fired at the Ramat David airbase east of the city of Haifa in the region.
According to a report by the international media Al Jazeera, sirens were activated across northern Israel in the early hours of Sunday (September 22).
If Hezbollah's claim is true, it would be the first rocket attack by the armed group, Israel's deepest since the two sides began exchanging rocket and airstrikes since last October.
However, the extent of casualties or damage was not immediately known in this attack.
The Israeli military admitted to firing 10 rockets from Lebanon. However, Israel claimed that most of these rockets were destroyed before hitting the target.
Earlier on Saturday evening, Israel carried out hundreds of airstrikes across southern Lebanon. It has been reported that these attacks were carried out to thwart a possible attack by Hezbollah.
The Israeli military has banned large gatherings in northern Israel, including the country's third-largest city, Haifa.
Al Jazeera's reporter from Beirut, Ali Hashem, described Saturday night's attack by Hezbollah in northern Israel as quite significant. He said, "This is the first time since the 2006 war (between Israel and Hezbollah) that Hezbollah's missiles have reached a distance of more than 20 kilometers (inside Israel). This is the first time they are hitting targets 45 to 50 km away. In the meantime, we have heard of the seizure of rockets in various areas, including the Ramat David Air Base, east of Haifa city.
Confirming the attack in a statement, Hezbollah said that this time they fired the so-called Fadia-1 and Fadia-2 rockets. The rockets they fired at Israel in the past few months were World War II-era Soviet Russia-made Katyusha rockets.
Hundreds of thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies, used by Hamas members across Lebanon, exploded simultaneously last Tuesday and Wednesday. The Lebanese government and Hezbollah claim that Israel caused the explosion through an electronic message. But Israel has not commented on this so far. 37 of the armed group, including civilians, were killed in the two-day blast. About three thousand were injured.
Then last Friday, Israel carried out massive airstrikes in Sharatli, south of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. At least 38 people were killed and dozens injured.
Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqeel was also killed in Friday's attack. He was holding a meeting in a building in the suburbs of Beirut when the attack took place. The entire building turned into dust in the attack.
Hezbollah has been firing rockets at Israel almost every day since the Gaza war began last October. In response, Israel is carrying out airstrikes on various installations of the group in Lebanon.
