Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened tough action after the rocket fire from Lebanon. "We will hit our enemies, and they will pay the price for any aggression," Netanyahu said at the start of a security cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on Thursday evening.
Previously, according to military figures, 34 rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory – more than at any time since 2006. Two people in northern Israel were slightly injured. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Israel, however, blamed Palestinian militants. In southern Israel, there have also been several rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip in recent days.
Netanyahu said the internal debate in Israel would not stop the country from acting "anywhere, anytime" against the country's enemies. Netanyahu was referring to a judicial reform promoted by the right-wing religious government, which has divided Israeli society for weeks.
Military should arm itself
"Our enemies will learn again that Israeli citizens stand together and united in times of war, supporting the actions of the military and other security forces to protect our country and our citizens," Netanyahu said. Defense Minister Joav Galant previously instructed the military to prepare for "all possible responses."
According to Lebanese reports, Israeli artillery shelled targets in the border area in response. Israel's military did not confirm this. The UN peacekeeping mission Unifil called on both sides to de-escalate. "The situation is very serious," the organization said. Unifil blue helmets have been monitoring the border area between Israel and Lebanon since 1978.
The escalation was preceded by clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians on the Temple Mount (Al-Haram al-Sharif) in Jerusalem. Netanyahu said in the evening that Israel had no interest in changing the status quo of the Holy Places. He called for de-escalation. However, decisive action will be taken against "extremists," he said.
The Temple Mount with the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam. But it is also sacred to Jews, because there used to be two Jewish temples there. The Temple Mount is under Muslim administration, while Israel is responsible for security. The Palestinians repeatedly accuse Israel of wanting to expand its control of the holy site.