Dozens of rockets fired at north as Israeli jets hit Hezbollah launchers in Lebanon

None hurt in repeated attacks throughout day, but home damaged and fire sparked; several drones intercepted in Upper Galilee; Lebanon claims 3 emergency workers killed in strike

By Emanuel Fabian
and Agencies 7 September 2024, 11:47 pm Edit
Smoke rises in the southern Lebanese Marjayoun plain after being hit by Israeli shelling on September 7, 2024. The northern Israeli town of Metula can be seen in the background. (Rabih Daher/AFP)
Smoke rises in the southern Lebanese Marjayoun plain after being hit by Israeli shelling on September 7, 2024. The northern Israeli town of Metula can be seen in the background. (Rabih Daher/AFP)

Dozens of rockets were fired at northern Israel on Saturday, with some reaching areas near the city of Safed, as Israeli airstrikes took out Hezbollah launchers throughout southern Lebanon.

In a morning barrage, the Israel Defense Forces said, around 30 projectiles were fired from Lebanon toward the Meron area. All of the rockets impacted open areas, the military said.

Later on Saturday, a barrage of rockets was fired from Lebanon at the Western Galilee. Some of the rockets were intercepted by air defenses, according to the IDF.

Others struck the community of Shlomi, causing damage to a home, and some struck open areas near Liman, sparking a fire.

Another barrage of five rockets was later fired from Lebanon at the Safed area, striking open areas, the military said.

There were no casualties in Saturday’s attacks.

In the evening, the IDF said it struck a Hezbollah rocket launcher in southern Lebanon’s Aynata used in the attack on Safed.

In addition, infrastructure and a launcher were targeted in southern Lebanon’s Qabrikha that were used to fire rockets at Israel on Saturday.

Separately, several drones were launched from Lebanon Saturday evening at the Upper Galilee. The IDF said they impacted in northern Israel, causing no injuries.

Earlier in the day, the Lebanon-based Hezbollah terror group took responsibility for a string of attacks on Israeli troops and positions near the border, including with Katyusha rockets, some in stated response to “Israeli enemy attacks” on south Lebanon.

The army also said strikes were carried out overnight on a Hezbollah rocket launcher, publishing footage of the strikes.

Lebanon’s health ministry said three emergency personnel putting out fires in south Lebanon were killed and two others wounded in an Israeli strike Saturday.

“Israeli enemy targeting of a Lebanese civil defense team that was putting out fires sparked by the recent Israeli strikes in the village of Froun led to the martyrdom of three emergency responders,” the Lebanese health ministry said in a statement.

Two others were wounded, one of them critically, the statement said, adding, however, that the toll was provisional.

There were no immediate comments from the IDF on the strike.

The health ministry “condemns this blatant Israeli attack that targeted a team from an official body of the Lebanese state,” the Lebanese statement said.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati blasted Saturday’s attack, saying, “This new aggression against Lebanon is a blatant violation of international laws… and human values.”

Hezbollah issued a statement saying it launched a “squadron of missiles” in response to the Faroun attack, targeting an Israeli military headquarters.

The terror group operates freely in Lebanon, unhindered by the nation’s military.

Hezbollah ally the Amal movement said two of its members were among the dead. It said they were killed “while carrying out their humanitarian and national duty defending Lebanon and the south.”

Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib speaks during a joint news conference after a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart in Egypt’s new administrative capital on August 6, 2024. (Ahmed Hasan/AFP)

Lebanon’s foreign minister claimed in comments to Al Jazeera Saturday that Israel had relayed a message to Beirut that it does not want a ceasefire, regardless of whether it reaches a hostage-truce deal with Hamas in Gaza.

“Israel sent us a message through intermediaries, making it clear that they are not interested in a ceasefire in Lebanon, even after a ceasefire is reached in Gaza. Israel is determined to continue the war in the north,” Abdullah Bouhabib told the Qatari network.

Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border with Lebanon on a near-daily basis since October, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid war ongoing there since October 7.

So far, the skirmishes have resulted in 26 civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 20 IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.

Hezbollah has named 433 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. Another 76 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and dozens of civilians have also been killed.

Israel has warned it can not tolerate Hezbollah’s presence along its border following the October 7 atrocities and has repeatedly warned that should a diplomatic solution not be reached, it would turn to military action to push Hezbollah northward.

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