JERUSALEM
Four people were injured in the illegal settlement of Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel following rocket fire from Lebanon, medics said Thursday.
Israel's national emergency service MDA said in a statement that one of the injured was in serious condition, while another was listed in moderate condition, and two others sustained light injuries.
According to Israel’s Channel 12, sirens sounded across wide areas in northern Israel, including Kiryat Shmona and Margaliot, as air defense systems worked to intercept the incoming rockets.
Israel’s public broadcaster also reported damage to oil refineries in Israel's northern city of Haifa, along with power outages in several areas, after debris from Iranian and interceptor missiles fell in the area.
Earlier Thursday, Hezbollah claimed rocket strikes on an illegal Israeli settlement and six tanks as cross-border attacks between the Lebanese group and Tel Aviv continued to expand. The group said it fired two rocket barrages at the Kiryat Shmona settlement in northern Israel, without giving further details.
The Israeli army has escalated its airstrikes across Lebanon in recent days amid cross-border attacks with Hezbollah, despite a ceasefire deal that has been in place since November 2024. According to Lebanese authorities, at least 1,001 people have been killed and 2,584 injured in Israeli strikes across Lebanon since March 2.
The current escalation followed a joint US-Israeli offensive on Iran, which has killed around 1,300 people since Feb. 28. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, hosting US military assets.
* Writing by Rania Abushamala.