Israel launches air strikes in Lebanon and Gaza after militants fire missile barrage

Israel launched air strikes in Lebanon on Friday morning in response to a militant rocket attack, raising fears of an all-out conflict in the coming days. The Israeli military said on Friday before dawn that it was “currently striking in Lebanon” without immediately providing details – but there were reports in Lebanese media of explosions in the southern city of Tyre. A witness told AFP that at least two shells fell near a Palestinian refugee camp near Tyre, while there were further reports of Israeli aircraft heard over the city of Naqoura and near Nabatieh. The Israeli Defence Forces claimed they were attacking targets belonging to Hamas. “The IDF will not allow the Hamas terrorist organisation to operate from within Lebanon and holds the state of Lebanon responsible for every directed fire emanating from its territory,“ it said in a statement. The escalation comes after militants in southern Lebanon on Thursday fired a massive barrage of rockets at northern Israel in the biggest single attack since the 2006 Lebanon war. The Israeli military said that 34 rockets were fired at Israel, with most intercepted by Israel’s high-powered Iron Dome air defence systems. Israel then hit back on Friday morning with air strikes on the Gaza strip. Continue reading full article: Subscribe to The Telegraph with our special offer: just £1 for 3 months. Start your free trial now: Get the latest headlines: and are websites of The Telegraph, the UK’s best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture. #Lebanon #Gaza #Israel