The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Thursday night Hamas terrorists based in Lebanon fired nearly three dozen rockets into Israel over the previous 24-hour period.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is currently in Lebanon.
In a statement, IDF recorded 34 rockets were fired, with 25 intercepted by the IDF Aerial Defense array, while five landed in Israeli territory. Another four rocket launches were “under review.”
“Following the rocket fire from Lebanon and sensitivity of recent and upcoming events, the IDF is currently conducting a calm and focused security assessment on the nature of these events,” IDF international spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hect wrote on Twitter. “We are prepared to face any threat and ready for all operational scenarios.”
The barrage was the largest number of rockets fired from Lebanon since the 2006 war, during which thousands of rockets were launched at Israel. In August 2021, Hezbollah fired 19 rockets at northern Israel, the Times of Israel reports.
The launch came members of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas traveled to Beirut to meet with officials from the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah.
Israeli soldiers patrol near Kibuttz Malkia bordering Lebanon on April 7, 2023. On April 6, the Israeli army said more than 30 rockets had been fired from Lebanese territory into Israel in the largest escalation on the northern border since Israel and Hezbollah fought a 34-day war in 2006. (Jalaa MAREY / AFP) (Photo by JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty)
Hezbollah has not commented on the incident.
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari told a press conference that Hamas was responsible for the rocket fire, adding it was also behind recent rocket fire from Gaza.
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