Tensions on the northern border continued Friday, with a heavy barrage of at least 10 rockets fired from southern Lebanon at the Mount Dov area. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror group claimed responsibility for the attack.
This is the second wave of rocket fire from southern Lebanon on northern Israel in two days.
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Iron Dome intercepts rockets from southern Lebanon over the Golan Heights on Friday
(Photo: Hadashot Bzman)
The Iron Dome missile defense system knocked most of the rockets out of the sky while several landed in open areas.
There were no injuries or damage reported in the barrage that began a little before 11am, with sirens sounding in the areas of Ein Qiniyye, Neve Ativ and Snir. Residents in the area reported smoke rising in the Hermon area and locals caught some of the Iron Dome interceptions on video.
The IDF responded with artillery fire at the sources of the rocket launches. The military said that communities in the area were continuing with their normal routine but bomb shelters that were opened after the first barrage on Wednesday remained open. Residents of the Golan Heights were not issued any specific security instructions.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was holding consultations with Defense Minister Benny Gantz, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi and other senior security officials in the wake of the attack.
Lebanese media reports said that the rockets were fired from the al-Arqoub area in southern Lebanon, close to the city of Natabiyeh.
"Islamic Resistance in Lebanon has launched 122mm rockets at IDF outposts in the Shebaa Farms area," Hezbollah said Friday, referring to itself and the Mount Dov region.
"The launch comes in response to Israeli Air Force attacks in open areas of southern Lebanon on Thursday," it said.
The barrage on Wednesday saw two rockets strike open areas close to the border city of Kiryat Shmona shortly after noon. A third failed to reach Israeli territory. Security officials said at the time that the rockets had been fired by Palestinian groups in southern Lebanon.
The IDF initially responded with artillery fire and hours later launched the first airstrikes on Lebanese territory in eight years.
An IDF spokesperson said Thursday that "fighter jets struck the launch sites and infrastructure used for terror in Lebanon."
It warned that the strikes would continue and even increase in response to terrorist attacks on Israel and said the Lebanese government would be held responsible.