A missile fired from Lebanon was intercepted near Israel‘s economic centre Tel Aviv, Israel’s military said, in a rare attack far from the frontlines of the conflict with Hezbollah.
“Following the sirens that sounded in the Tel Aviv and Netanya areas, one surface-to-surface missile was identified crossing from Lebanon and was intercepted by the IDF Aerial Defence Array,” the Israeli military said.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
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Since the outbreak of conflict between Israel and Hamas last October, Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets and drones from Lebanon targeting northern Israel.
The intercept comes days after Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah killed more than 500 people across Lebanon.
Monday was the deadliest day in Lebanon in nearly two decades.
Hezbollah today said it launched a ballistic missile toward the headquarters of Israel’s intelligence service Mossad near Tel Aviv, shortly after the Israeli military said it intercepted the attack in what is a rare assault far from the frontlines.
The militant group said it launched a Qadr 1 ballistic missile targeting the Mossad headquarters in the suburbs of Tel Aviv “in support of our steadfast Palestinian people in Gaza” and in “defence of Lebanon and its people”.
Flights at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion international airport continued as usual, the airport’s spokesperson said.
Sirens were heard today in the central city of Netanya for the first time since the attacks on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli authorities.
Speaking from Tel Aviv, CNN’s International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson said Israel’s interception of a missile fired from Lebanon near the city is a “very rare occurrence” and may be a first in the latest phase of escalations.
People in Tel Aviv and Netanya, a central city north of the economic center, woke up to sirens on Wednesday, Robertson said, adding that there have been no reports of casualties or any damage on the ground.
“In this new phase, this new escalation of tensions and conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, this is the first that we’re aware of a missile in this phase, being intercepted, closely it appears on a trajectory towards Tel Aviv.”
The missile launch aimed at Tel Aviv comes after two days of multiple strikes between the Israeli military and militant group Hezbollah, but those attacks mainly happened near the Israel-Lebanon border, Robertson said.
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