Rockets fired from Lebanon kill seven in northern Israel

A series of strikes from Lebanon hit northern Israel on Thursday, killing seven people, including four foreign workers.

The back-to-back attacks made Thursday one of the deadliest days for civilians in Israel since the Israeli military invaded southern Lebanon on 1 October as part of an expansion of its conflict with the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group.

The violence came as top US diplomats were in the region to push for ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza, hoping to wind down the wars in the Middle East as the Biden administration enters its final months. Pressure has been building ahead of the US election, which takes place on 5 November.

The Israeli military warned people to evacuate from more areas of southern Lebanon, as airstrikes across the country killed at least eight.

Meanwhile, also on Thursday, Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank killed three people, according to Palestinian officials.

The Israeli military said its forces were targeting militants in the area of the Nur Shams refugee camp, which has seen several battles in recent months. The military also stated that it eliminated one Hamas militant who was involved in planning attacks on Israelis.

Hezbollah’s newly appointed leader, Naim Kassem, said the militant group will continue fighting in its war with Israel until it is offered ceasefire terms it deems acceptable.

According to government estimates, around 1.2 million people have been displaced by the conflict in Lebanon. The country’s Heath Ministry said more than 2,800 people have been killed and 12,900 wounded since October last year when Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel, which drew retaliation. Israeli ground forces invaded southern Lebanon at the start of this month.

Hezbollah started firing on Israel on 8 October 2023 in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza. The conflict escalated from a regular but restrained exchange of cross-border fire into an Israeli military ground operation, with rockets being fired into Lebanon.