On Thursday, 6th April 2023, militants in Lebanon fired multiple rockets on the targets in the northern part of Israel, forcing people into bomb shelters and injuring at least one person. Israel has reportedly intercepted many of the rockets in the attack by its Iron Dome air defence system. According to Israeli military, 34 rockets were fired into the border, 25 of which were shot down by the Iron Dome, while five of them landed within Israel.
Warning sirens were sounded in the town of Shlomi and in Moshav Betzet in northern Israel due to the rocket attacks, the Israeli army said. Israel’s ambulance service said one man had sustained minor shrapnel injuries. Reportedly Katyusha time rockets were fired.
David Saranga – the director of the digital diplomacy bureau in Israel‘s Ministry of foreign affairs – tweeted, “Over the last couple of hours, 34 rockets were fired from Lebanon at Northern Israel, putting innocent lives in danger. The Israeli government will take all necessary measures to defend its citizens against acts of violence!”
Over the last couple of hours, 34 rockets were fired from Lebanon at Northern Israel, putting innocent lives in danger.
— David Saranga (@DavidSaranga) April 6, 2023
The Israeli government will take all necessary measures to defend its citizens against acts of violence! pic.twitter.com/MRNIzQi9X0
It is notable that this attack came after clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians inside Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque. Threats of revenge had been sent from all around the region as a result of the violence within the third-holiest place in Islam. Israel also refuted accusations from Lebanon that it had responded to the incident with retaliation strikes.
According to reports, Lebanon had fired a “salvo” of rockets. Right now, no one has claimed responsibility for the assault. In the northern Israeli towns of Shlomi, Moshav Betzet, and Galilee, warning sirens were heard. According to the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he “received continuous updates regarding the security situation and will perform an assessment with the chiefs of the security services.”
Yoav Gallant, the defence minister, was also informed of the specifics of the rocket attack. A ministry spokesperson said, “The minister will soon conduct a situation assessment with senior officials in the defense establishment.”
Lebanon claimed that Israeli artillery fired several shells across the border after the rocket attack. But Israel has said that it had not retaliated.
Though no one claimed responsibility for the rocket attack, it is suspected that Hezbollah could be behind it. However, three security sources said Palestinian factions in Lebanon are behind the attack, not the heavily armed Lebanese Hezbollah group, according to a Reuters report.
Mohammad Al-Braim, the spokesman for the Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees, praised the rocket strikes from Lebanon but did not claim responsibility for the same. He said that it was retaliation for Al-Aqsa incident.
After days of rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, riots at Al-Aqsa, and an alleged Iranian drone launched from Syria earlier in the week, tensions were unprecedentedly high when the rocket attack occurred. After such instances, Hezbollah seemed to imply that it may possibly join the conflict.
Hezbollah had said in a statement, “Hezbollah forcefully denounces the assault carried out by the Israeli occupation forces against the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and its attacks on the faithful. 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 worshipers and the Al-Aqsa Mosque and to deter the enemy from continuing its attacks.”
Hezbollah controls most of the area in Southern Lebanon, across the border with Israel, and regularly clashes with Israeily border forces. This incident has raised fears of escalation in hostilities.
