Several mortars impacted near the northern Israeli town of Metula, the Israeli military confirmed, according Israeli media reports
Local security officials instructed residents of the town near the border with Lebanon to remain in shelters amid sounds of explosions.
The Israel Defense Forces says several mortars were found following scans of the area.
The attack did not cause any injuries or damage.
Opposition leader backs a harsh response by the IDF
Opposition leader Yair Lapid responds to the escalation in violence and blasted the Israeli government
“The extreme and irresponsible behavior of the current government led to a serious damage to deterrence,” the Yesh Atid leader says.
Despite his criticism of the government he said ” the opposition will give the government full backing for a harsh response by the IDF and the security forces.”
“Israel should respond at a time and place that is right for us. We should not play into the hands of those who are trying to heat up the region during the month of Ramadan. Instead of acting according to our enemies’ schedule, we must respond forcefully and mercilessly according to the security forces’ assessment of the evolving situation,” Lapid says.
White House calls for avoiding escalation
The White House joins the State Department in expressing its concern following the escalation in East Jerusalem and on the Israel-Lebanon border.
“We remain extremely concerned by the continuing violence and we urge all sides to avoid further escalation,” a White House National Security Council spokesperson tells The Times of Israel.
“We condemn the launch of rockets at Israel. Using Lebanon as a launchpad for rocket attacks against Israel only puts the Lebanese people at risk and increases the potential for further instability in the country,” they say. “Our commitment to Israel’s security remains ironclad. We recognize Israel’s legitimate right to defend its people and territory against all forms of aggression.”
“We urge all sides to avoid further escalation. As the President has made clear, Israelis and Palestinians both deserve to live safely and securely and to enjoy equal measures of security, prosperity, and freedom.”
Response options
During a meeting on Thursday Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant instructed the defense establishment to “advance all response options” to rocket fire from Lebanon, ahead of presenting them to the high-level security cabinet later tonight, his office says in a statement
The meeting included IDF chief Herzi Halevi; Mossad chief David Barnea; Shin Bet head Ronen Bar; head of IDF operations, Oded Basiuk; Tal Kelman, the military official in charge of Iran affairs; the IDF’s liaison to the Palestinians, Ghassan Alian; and other officials., Israeli media reported
Hamas leader Haniyeh is in Beirut for what Hamas sources called a “private visit.” Other Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad leaders were also reported to be in Lebanon.
A Hamas source told AFP that Haniyeh had canceled a visit to the southern Lebanese city of Sidon scheduled for Thursday afternoon due to the “developments.”
Reactions in Lebanon
Lebanese army dismantling rockets
The Lebanese Army Command announced that “missile launchers and a number of rockets intended for launch were found in the vicinity of the towns of Zibqin and Qalila, and work is underway to dismantle them.”
Minister of Interior: Lebanon alone owns the decision of peace and war
The Minister of the Interior in the caretaker government, Bassam al-Mawlawi, stressed “the necessity for the establishment of a state in Lebanon that alone owns the decision of peace and war,” stressing that “compliance with UN Resolution 1701 is an urgent necessity for the interest of Lebanon and the citizens.”
Mawlawi pointed out, in an interview with Al-Hadath, that “the existing circumstances are exceptional, and the security forces and the army are playing their role in Lebanon,” stressing that “we will not accept that political messages are sent through security threats.”
He stated that “there are many non-Lebanese armed factions in southern Lebanon, and Lebanon or its south should not be a platform for threats from any side,” adding, “We are letting the investigations take their course about the missile launches and who provided the cover for them.”
News Agencies
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