BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Hezbollah said on Sunday it fired Katyusha rockets at northern Israel in retaliation to an overnight Israeli airstrike that targeted a weapons depot and injured six civilians, according to state media and statements from Hezbollah.
The exchange of fire marks a significant escalation in tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, amidst ongoing clashes linked to the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hezbollah stated it fired rockets at Israel’s Dafna area in retaliation for Israeli attacks on civilians in the town of Adloun, which resulted in injuries to six people. Lebanese state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that the Israeli strike on Adloun targeted an ammunition depot, causing injuries to civilians and damage to surrounding villages due to exploding rockets.
Videos circulating online showed intense explosions in Adloun, with reports of shrapnel reaching nearby areas.
Hezbollah confirmed three people were killed in the exchange, following earlier clashes where Hezbollah and Hamas had launched rockets and drones towards Israeli positions.
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The Israeli military, in a statement, acknowledged striking two Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in southern Lebanon.
Since October, violence in the region has resulted in at least 518 deaths in Lebanon, mostly civilians. On the Israeli side, authorities reported 18 soldiers and 13 civilians killed during the same period.
