Hezbollah-Israel conflict: Hezbollah launches 140 rockets toward northern Israel, a day after deadly pager blasts in Lebanon

Hezbollah launched a significant barrage of 140 rockets into northern Israel on Friday, following a declaration from the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who vowed to retaliate for recent Israeli bombing attacks.

This attack by the Iranian proxy group comes just hours after pagers and walkie-talkies detonated in Lebanon, killing civilians and injuring thousands.

The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed that the rockets were fired in three waves during the afternoon, targeting various locations along the conflict-ridden border with Lebanon.




According to Hezbollah, the strikes specifically aimed at several border sites using Katyusha rockets, including multiple air defense installations and the headquarters of an Israeli armored brigade, marking a notable escalation in their offensive capabilities.

This rocket fire was described by Hezbollah as a response to Israeli strikes that had targeted villages and homes in southern Lebanon.

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 8, 2023, there has been a pattern of near-daily exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel, but Friday’s barrage was significantly heavier than usual.

On Thursday, Nasrallah stressed that Hezbollah would maintain its campaign of daily strikes against Israel, despite suffering a serious setback earlier in the week when Israeli attacks disrupted communication for thousands of Hezbollah members.

The Hezbollah commander referred to this disruption as a “severe blow” to the group’s operations.

While Israel has not confirmed or denied involvement in these communication attacks, the recent escalation has heightened concerns about a potential shift from skirmishes to full-scale war between Hezbollah and Israel.

The situation remains tense, with both sides poised for further confrontations in the coming days.

(with inputs from AP)