The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Sunday that it had launched airstrikes on a rocket launch site in Lebanon, after nine rockets were fired from the neighboring country into Israeli territory. The IDF also reported that an anti-tank missile was fired at one of its posts along the border with Lebanon, the fifth such attack of the day.
According to the IDF, its aerial defense system intercepted five of the nine rockets that were launched from Lebanon, while the rest landed in open areas. No injuries or damage were reported. The IDF said it held the Lebanese government responsible for the attacks, and warned that it would “continue to operate with determination and respond forcefully to any violation of Israeli sovereignty” .
The IDF also said that it had struck the launch site in Lebanon from which the rockets were fired, in accordance with its policy of responding to any cross-border aggression. The IDF did not provide further details on the target or the extent of the damage caused by the airstrikes .
The rocket attacks from Lebanon came amid a tense situation along the border, as the IDF and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah exchanged fire earlier in the day. The IDF said that an anti-tank missile was fired at one of its posts near the Blue Line, the UN-demarcated boundary between Israel and Lebanon, but no casualties were reported. The IDF responded by firing artillery shells at several Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon .
This was the fifth time on Sunday that an anti-tank missile was fired at an IDF post along the border, according to the IDF. The IDF said it was investigating whether the attacks were coordinated or carried out by different groups .
Meanwhile, the IDF also urged residents of Gaza City and northern Gaza to relocate to the southern area of the coastal enclave, as it continued its military operation against Hamas and other militant groups in the Gaza Strip. The IDF said it would not carry out any operations along a designated route from 10 AM to 1 PM on Sunday, and asked civilians to use this window to move southward for their safety .
The IDF said it had warned Gaza residents several times in the past days to leave their homes and head south, as it targeted Hamas infrastructure and operatives in northern Gaza. The IDF said it wanted to protect civilians from harm, and claimed that Hamas leaders had already ensured their safety and that of their families .
Meanwhile, the IDF also shared a photo of a mother and son who were reunited after spending hours in a shelter during the Hamas rocket barrage last week. The IDF said its special unit “Oketz” delivered the news to them that they were safe. The IDF said it was proud of its soldiers who protected the civilians from the Hamas terror.
The IDF’s appeal came as the death toll from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas rose to over 200, with more than 1,800 people injured. According to Gaza health officials, at least 188 Palestinians have been killed, including 55 children and 33 women, since the fighting erupted on May 10. According to Israeli authorities, 10 people have been killed in Israel, including two children and a soldier, by rocket fire from Gaza .
The international community has called for an immediate end to the violence and a return to dialogue between the two sides. The UN Security Council is expected to hold an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the crisis, after several failed attempts to reach a consensus on a statement calling for a ceasefire .
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