The tensions have escalated to new heights in the Middle East after Israel and Hezbollah entered a more intense fight. In the latest development, Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets into Israel's Western Galilee in the late hours of Thursday (local time), according to CNN. Citing the IDF, it reported that only five rockets could enter Israel and there was no damage or injuries.
Hezbollah strike came over 48 hours after the terror group's military chief Fuad Shukr was killed in Beirut, Times of Israel reported. Taking responsibility for the attack, Hezbollah issued a statement and claimed to have launched dozens of rockets at the northern border community of Metzuba in response to an Israeli strike in the Lebanese village of Chamaa earlier on Thursday, which reportedly killed four Syrians and wounded several Lebanese civilians.
Israel retaliates, destroys rocket launcher
In response to Hezbollah's strike, the IDF struck a Hezbollah rocket launcher in southern Lebanon's Yater, which was being used to fire a barrage at the Western Galilee. Taking to social media platform X, IDF said, "Following the alerts that were activated at 21:44 in the Western Galilee area, a number of launches were detected that crossed from Lebanon, some of them were intercepted and the rest fell in open areas, there were no casualties."
"In a rapid closing of the circle, fighter jets of the Air Force attacked the launcher of the Hezbollah terrorist organization from which the launches from the Yatar area in southern Lebanon were detected," it added.
It is worth noting that Hezbollah had attacked Golan Height on July 28, which left 13 children dead. To this, Israel vowed to retaliate as deemed fit. Later, on July 30, Israel struck Lebanese capital Beirut targeting the top military commander Fuad Shukr.
Possibility of wider war mounts
Earlier on Thursday, Hezbollah's leader while addressing mourners at the funeral of Fuad said that the conflict with Israel entered a “new phase”. Meanwhile, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei also prayed over the body of Hamas' political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Haniyeh was killed in a presumed Israeli assassination. Iran has vowed to retaliate against Israel as Haniyeh was killed in Tehran. The killings of top brass of Hamas and Hezbollah have triggered a possibility of a wider war.
(With inputs from agencies)
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