Lebanon's Hezbollah hits Israel with mass rockets as Gaza deaths rise
Beirut, Lebanon - The Shiite militia Hezbollah on Saturday said it fired 62 rockets at Israel from Lebanon, which would be a record number since the October start of the Israel-Gaza war.
The claimed attack coincided with reports by Hamas-controlled health authorities in Gaza that almost 23,000 Palestinians have been killed since fighting erupted there in October. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday that malnutrition and disease are creating a deadly cycle, with an official calling the Gaza Strip "uninhabitable."
The Hezbollah missiles from Lebanon targeted a military base near the town of Meron in northern Israel, according to the militia, which is allied with Iran and the Islamist Hamas.
It described the strikes as a "first reaction" to the killing of Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, on Tuesday evening in the suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut.
While Hezbollah accuses Israel of al-Arouri's assassination, it has been shelling its neighbor almost daily from Lebanon since the Gaza war began.
The Israeli army confirmed the attack near Meron and said around 40 projectiles were identified as they approached Israel. One launch site in Lebanon came under fire in response, officials said.
According to Lebanese security sources, the Christian village of Rmeish in southern Lebanon was heavily shelled from Israel. Fighter jets also targeted the villages of Hula and Yaroun, the sources said.
There was no immediate information about casualties on either side of the border, where the situation reportedly remained tense.
What is happening between Israel and Lebanon?
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which has monitored the area since 1978, has declared its second-highest alert level there amid the strikes.
Israel is demanding that Hezbollah withdraw from the border to ensure the safety of its citizens in the north of the country. It has also threatened to use military means if diplomatic efforts do not bring a withdrawal.
More than 76,000 people have left their homes in southern Lebanon since the start of the recent fighting. On the Israeli side of the border, more than 80,000 people were evacuated from their homes.
Meanwhile, the death toll in Gaza has risen to 22,722, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry - 122 more than the previous day. Including the injured, 58,166 casualties have been recorded in total.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday continued operations against Hamas across Gaza, which is around 25 miles long. In the heavily contested city of Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip, an undisclosed number of militants were killed and entrances to Hamas tunnels and weapons depots were destroyed, the IDF said. The military also said soldiers in Gaza City had discovered and destroyed dozens of submachine guns in a building adjacent to a clinic. Combat drones were also used.
The armed wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam Brigades, confirmed they were involved in fierce fighting with the Israeli army. The focal points of the fighting were Khan Younis, Gaza City, and the center of the territory.
It was not possible to independently verify the information from both sides in the war zone.
The Gaza war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history, carried out by gunmen from Hamas and other extremist groups on October 7 in Israel's border areas with Gaza, where they killed some 1,200 people.
Cover photo: JALAA MAREY / AFP