Hezbollah says it fired 'dozens' of rockets toward Israel
A Hezbollah flag flutters in Lebanon
Lebanon'sHezbollahmovement said itfired"dozens" ofrocketsFriday at open areas of the disputed Shebaa Farms district, drawing retaliatory Israeli strikes for a second straight day.
It is the first time thatHezbollahhas directly claimed an attack onIsraelsince 2019, as tensions boil along the border following a week of tit-for-tat exchanges.
The latest round of rocket fire on Friday morning came "in response to the Israeli air raids" that hit south Lebanon on Thursday,Hezbollahsaid in a statement.
"The Islamic Resistance shelled open territory near positions of Israeli occupation forces in the Shebaa Farms withdozensofrockets," it said.
An AFP correspondent in south Lebanon said he heard several explosions and saw smoke rising from the Shebaa Farms.
The Israeli military said it was "currently striking the launch sources in Lebanon".
On Thursday,Israelcarried out air strikes on Lebanon for the first time in seven years in response to a previous salvo of cross-border rocket fire. It had prviously
Israelhas warned repeatedly that it will not allow a power vacuum and a deepening economic crisis in Beirut to undermine security on its northern border.
The Israeli military said it "views the state of Lebanon as responsible for all actions originating in its territory, and warns against further attempts to harm Israeli civilians andIsrael's sovereignty".
The Shebaa Farms district is claimed by Lebanon andHezbollah, but the United Nations, which has maintained a peacekeeping force in south Lebanon since 1978, regards it as part of the Syrian Golan Heights, whichIsraelhas occupied since 1967 and unilaterally annexed in 1981.