Four rockets fired from Lebanon landed in northern Israel on Thursday morning, slightly wounding two old women and prompting the Israeli army to respond with artillery fire, officials said. The rockets were the first fired from Lebanon since 2007.
Micky Rosenfeld, a spokesman for Israeli police, said the rockets struck two different places in northern Israel's Galilee region. Lebanese security sources said between three and five rockets were fired from southern Lebanon.
According to Reuters, an Israeli military spokesman said Israel mounted "a pinpoint response at the source of (the rocket) fire." A security source said Israel fired five artillery shells. After the incident, the Lebanese army said that the military and U.N. peacekeepers responded with adopting measures to "bring the situation under control."
Hizbullah denied any involvement in Thursday's attack. On its part, Hamas in Lebanon said it was not behind the rocket attack on northern Israel. Meanwhile, PFLP-GC official Anwar Raja did not confirm or deny the Palestinian group’s involvement in the attack.
The Lebanese government criticised the rocket attack, saying it was a violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution that halted a 2006 war between Hizbullah and the Jewish state. According to Reuters, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora asked the Lebanese authorities to step up measures and their cooperation with U.N. peacekeepers in south Lebanon to "prevent a repeat of these acts," a statement issued from his office said.
"Prime Minister Siniora regards what happened in the south as a violation of the international resolution 1701 and something he does not accept and rejects," the statement issued by Siniora's office said. Siniora called for an investigation into the incident.
