JERUSALEM (EJP)—At least five rockets were fired Sunday morning from Lebanon at Israel. One of the rockets landed west of Kiryat Shmona, an Israeli city near the Lebanese border.
The Israeli army responded with artillery fire toward the source of the launch.
‘’The attack is an inexcusable and blatant violation of Israel’s sovereignty,’’ the army’s spokesperson said.
An official complaint was filed to UNIFIL, the United Nations force charged with maintaining security in Southern Lebanon and preventing hostilities against Israel.
‘’While no injuries were reported, the attack constitutes an unacceptable and blatant breach of Israel’s sovereignty,’’ the IDF spokesperson said. ‘’Launching rockets from Lebanon into Israel jeapordizes thousands of civilian lives in the north, a reality no sovereign state would accept. The IDF maintains the right to self defense and will continue to operate accordingly.’’
At the weekly cabinet meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sdaid ‘’Lebanon committed a double war crime in its attack against Israel early Sunday morning by endangering innocent civilians on both sides of the border.’’
“What is happening in Lebanon is that Hezbollah is stationing thousands of missiles and rockets in apartments, in the heart of the civilian population, and is thus perpetrating two war crimes simultaneously. It is organizing the firing at civilians, just as it did today, and it is hiding behind civilians as human shields,” Netanyahu said.
“This is a double war crime that that is being perpetrated under the aegis of the Lebanese government and army, which are not lifting a finger to prevent this arming and these crimes. We hold the Lebanese government responsible for this development,” he added.
‘’Even as Iran continues to negotiate with the West, it continues to arm terrorist organizations and to develop its nuclear weapons program,’’ he said.
“It is also the same Iran that is currently developing centrifuges that are capable of enriching uranium six times faster than its regular centrifuges.”
Two weeks ago, an Israeli soldier was killed by shots fired over the border by a sniper from the Lebanese army.