Angered By Rockets, Israel Launches Airstrikes On Lebanon

Illustration of an Israeli fighter jet base. (Wikimedia Commons/Amit Agronov/IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

JAKARTA - An Israeli military Air Force (IDF) fighter jet launched an air strike on Thursday morning local time, on an area suspected to be a rocket launch site in Lebanon.

Quoting Reuters on Thursday, August 5, this was in response to a rocket attack from Lebanon on Wednesday, which Israel had responded to with artillery fire.

No party has claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks launched from southern Lebanon, which is under the control of the Iran-backed Hezbollah guerrillas.

Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV said Israeli warplanes had carried out two strikes on the outskirts of the Lebanese city of Mahmudiya, about 12 km (7.5 miles) from the Israeli border.

Separately, the IDF confirmed the attack on targets in southern Lebanon by their fighter jets. Citing The Jerusalem Post, the IDF confirmed that the Air Force was targeting the area where the rockets were launched into Israel.

The attack came in response to rockets fired at Israel on Wednesday afternoon, which landed near Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel.

"IDF attacks will continue and will escalate in the face of terrorist attempts against the State of Israel and its citizens," the statement said.

"The Lebanese state is responsible for what happens on its territory. The IDF warns of continued efforts to harm the Israeli people and their sovereignty," the statement said.

To note, three rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel on Wednesday afternoon local time, setting off rocket sirens at Kiryat Shmona, Kfar Giladi and Tel Hai, according to the IDF Spokesperson Unit.

The IDF said two rockets fell near Kiryat Shmona and one fell on Lebanese territory. The IDF responded to the rockets with tank fire at the location where the rockets were fired.

"Later in the afternoon, the IDF launched a second round of artillery fire along the border with Lebanon," said the IDF Spokesperson's Unit. No specific instructions have been issued to residents of northern Israel. Mayor Kiryat Shmona ordered the shelter to be opened.