Missile barrage hits northern Israel, emergency services report
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Firefighters respond to a blaze following a rocket attack from Lebanon, near Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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JERUSALEM - Israeli emergency services reported dealing with a string of fires in northern Israel on June 14, after dozens of missiles were fired from southern Lebanon into the area around the border town of Kiryat Shemona.
The military said that warning sirens had sounded in northern Israel and emergency services said teams were searching the area, where they reported there was property damage but no casualties.
Television footage on June 14 showed damaged buildings and cars as well as brush fires in several locations caused by strikes or falling debris amid heatwave conditions.
The Israeli military has exchanged regular fire with Hezbollah forces across the border in southern Lebanon ever since the start of the war in Gaza in October.
Neither side has appeared to wish a wider conflict, but there has been growing worry that the steady intensification of strikes could push the situation out of control with the risk of a wider conflict in a region that has already seen direct exchanges between Israel and Iran.
The latest salvo came after an Israeli strike killed a senior commander
Tens of thousands of residents have been evacuated from their homes on both sides of the border, creating growing pressure to resolve the stand-off, but diplomatic efforts have so far proved fruitless.
On June 14, the Israeli military said fighter jets and anti-aircraft systems had intercepted 11 of the 16 drones launched by Hezbollah against Israel in the past 72 hours.
"The Israeli Air Force is continuing to operate at all times to thwart terrorist activities and protect Israel's skies from any threat," it said in a statement. REUTERS
