[News] Barrage of rockets fired at Israel from Lebanon as Al-Aqsa tensions mount

[Anti-Imperialist News]

middleeasteye.net
<https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-rocket-intercepted-fired-from-lebanon>
Barrage of rockets fired at Israel from Lebanon as Al-Aqsa tensions mount
By MEE staff - April 6, 2023
------------------------------

Local media reports around 30 rockets fired from Lebanon's south, with
Israel responding with artillery fire

[image: The crater from a rocket fired from Lebanon that landed in Shlomi,
northern Israel on 6 April 2023 (AP)]

The crater from a rocket fired from Lebanon that landed in Shlomi, northern
Israel on 6 April 2023 (AP)

Published date: 6 April 2023 13:09 BST | Last update: 41 mins 15 secs ago

A barrage of rockets was fired into Israel
<https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/israel> from Lebanon
<https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/lebanon> on Thursday, as tensions
over Israeli assualts on worshippers in Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque mount.

According to Israeli army radio, a barrage of around 30 rockets was
launched from Israel's northern neighbour. One person was slightly wounded
by shrapnel, according to Israel emergency services.

The rockets were fired from Qlaileh town near Tyre, a source from south
Lebanon told Middle East Eye. Security sources told Reuters
that Palestinian factions based in Lebanon were behind the attack,
not Hezbollah.

Israel responded with artillery fire on south Lebanon.

Israeli officials say initial assessments show that at least five rockets
landed inside Israel while the rest were intercepted, according to Kan
public broadcaster. Sirens sounded in the towns of Betzet and Shlomi in
western Galilee.

The rockets landed in residential areas and left damage a shopping center,
roads and cars.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is convening his security cabinet
for the first time since February to discuss the situation.

Shai Levy, a military reporter for Israeli news site Mako, said
<https://twitter.com/shailevy6/status/1643947860096962560> the salvo was "an
unusual event that has not been seen in Lebanon for years".

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, the UN Interim Force in
Lebanon (UNIFIL), described the situation as "extremely serious".

"UNIFIL urges restraint and to avoid further escalation," the mission said
in a statement.

Though no claims of responsibility have been made, the launches come hours
after Lebanon's Hezbollah movement warned it would support "all measures"
taken by Palestinians in the wake of attacks by Israeli forces on Al-Aqsa
Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.

“Hezbollah forcefully denounces the assault carried out by the Israeli
occupation forces against the Al-Aqsa mosque compound and its attacks on
the faithful," the Iran-backed Shia group said.

“Hezbollah proclaims its full solidarity with the Palestinian people and
the resistance groups, and pledges that it will stand with them in all
measures they take to protect worshippers and the Al-Aqsa mosque and to
deter the enemy from continuing its attacks."

[image: An Israeli police bomb disposal unit member walks past a damaged
car in the aftermath of rocket fire launched from Lebanon in the northern
town of Fassuta on 6 April 2023 (AFP)]
An Israeli police bomb disposal unit member walks past a damaged car in the
aftermath of rocket fire launched from Lebanon in the northern town of
Fassuta on 6 April 2023 (AFP)

[image: image.gif]

Although Hezbollah and Israel fought during Israel's brutal 2006 invasion
of Lebanon, which left 160 Israelis and 1,200 Lebanese dead, there have
been little more than minor incidents since then.

Repeated assaults by Israeli forces on Al-Aqsa during Ramadan over the past
two days have, however, provoked outrage internationally.

Planned mass incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque by ultranationalist Israelis
are also set to start on Thursday and last a week to mark the Jewish
holiday of Passover.

"Mutual deterrence between Hezbollah and Israel that more or less held
since 2006 is officially over," tweeted
<https://twitter.com/MairavZ/status/1643948178499158017>analyst Mairav
Zonszein.

"Nonstop rockets on northern Israel for the last half hour from Lebanon.
Major escalation."
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