Even as the death count climbed to nearly 3,600 on the fifth day of the Israel-Gaza war, the Israeli army said on Wednesday that there has been a “suspected infiltration” from Lebanon into the country’s airspace, reported news agency AFP.
The army’s Home Front Command asked residents of the cities of Beit Shean, Safed and Tiberias – all in the northern part of the country, near the border with Lebanon – to shelter “until further notice” fearing a “large-scale attack”. Rocket sirens also blared in several towns and cities across the northern border.
Earlier in the day, Lebanon’s militant group Hezbollah said it had fired missiles on Israel, drawing retaliatory fire, after three members of the Iran-backed group were killed earlier this week amid soaring border tensions, an AFP report said.
Hezbollah “targeted a Zionist (Israeli) position… facing Dhayra village, with guided missiles,” in a “firm response to Zionist attacks… which led to the martyrdom of a number of brothers,” the group was quoted as saying in the report.
Israel said it had responded by striking one of the group’s military observation posts in south Lebanon.