Lebanon: Rockets launched from coastal region towards Israel
A security source in south Lebanon has told Middle East Eye that three rockets fired towards Israel on Thursday evening were launched from Basateen al-Qulayla, a coastal area near al-Qulayla village.
The area lies around 1km from the Palestinian refugee camp of al-Rashidiya, outside the city of Tyre.
Stay informed with MEE's newsletters
Sign up to get the latest alerts, insights and analysis, starting with Turkey Unpacked
The source identified the rockets as Grads, a Russian-made short-range projectile, and said they were set off by a timer. The Israeli army said they landed in the sea.
"A short while ago, three rockets were fired from Lebanon into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of northern Israel," the military said in a tweet.
The Lebanese source said it was not immediately clear who had fired the rockets, adding that no one has been detained, contrary to earlier media reports.
Hezbollah denial
MEE's Kareem Chehayeb, reporting from Beirut, said late on Thursday night that the Lebanese army tweeted that it had found some rockets near al-Rashidiya refugee camp.
The launching of the missiles comes as hostilities escalate in Israel between the Israeli army and Palestinian armed groups.
A source close to Hezbollah told AFP the movement had no link to Thursday's incident.
Hezbollah, which has a large security presence in the area, has not fought an all-out war with Israel since 2006.
In the past, including during the 2014 Gaza war, small Palestinian armed groups unrelated to Hezbollah have claimed responsibility for firing rockets at Israel.
Border fences stormed
Footage on social media appeared to show dozens of Lebanese protesters storming border fences with Israel on Friday afternoon. It was unclear if the protesters entered Israeli territory or sustained any injuries.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
