Hezbollah fires rocket barrages at Israel after commander killed

Israeli media described Hezbollah’s rocket and missile fire on Wednesday as “unprecedented” since the escalation in the conflict eight months ago.

Sirens sounded across northern Israel throughout the morning, when more than 170 projectiles were identified as crossing from Lebanon, according to the IDF.

Some of the projectiles were intercepted and others fell in several areas of northern Israel, causing fires to break out in some locations, it said.

The IDF said its aircraft and artillery responded by striking launchers in the southern Lebanese border areas of Yaroun and Hanine, as well as “terrorist infrastructure sites” in Yater.

They struck Yater again in the afternoon, as well Taybeh, Markaba, Rachaya al-Foukhar and Tallouseh, following new launches towards northern Israel, it added.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that Israeli air strikes destroyed a house in Yater, injuring one person. It also said warplanes and drones targeted Markaba and that phosphorous shells were fired towards Odaisseh.

By the late afternoon, the total number of projectiles launched from Lebanon had reached 215, Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported.

It also cited Israel’s Fire and Rescue Authority as saying that the fires sparked by the rockets had endangered “strategic sites and facilities”.

Fire-fighters, volunteers, park rangers and soldiers were close to gaining control over blazes in the northern communities of Biriya, Kadita, Ein Zeitim, and Tziv’on, it added.