A man looks at the damaged roof of a house in the Israeli air strike that targeted a garden near the city of Tyre, southern Lebanon, April 7, 2023. Loud explosions were heard early Friday morning around the Lebanese city of Tyre immediately after the Israel Defense Forces informed the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) that they would begin an artillery response to rocket launches from south Lebanon, said the UN peacekeeping outfit in a press statement. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)
BEIRUT, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Loud explosions were heard early Friday morning around the Lebanese city of Tyre immediately after the Israel Defense Forces informed the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) that they would begin an artillery response to rocket launches from south Lebanon, said the UN peacekeeping outfit in a press statement.
Eyewitnesses said that the Israeli military bombed an office of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and locations of Palestinian militants in the Rashidieh Palestinian refugee camp near the city of Tyre.
Israeli warplanes launched three missiles in open areas in the vicinity of the Qlaileh and Rashidieh camp before leaving Lebanese airspace, the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International reported on its website.
The Israeli military said in a statement that it will not allow Hamas to operate from within Lebanon and holds Lebanon responsible for any directed fire emanating from its territory.
Israel accused Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, of standing behind a barrage of about three dozen of rockets fired from southern Lebanon Thursday at northern Israel.
In the statement issued after the Israeli strike on southern Lebanon, the UNIFIL said, "the actions over the past day are dangerous and risk a serious escalation," urging "all parties to cease all actions across the Blue Line now."
"Both sides said they do not want war," it said.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Thursday that his country rejects any military escalation from its lands and the use of Lebanese territories to carry out operations that may jeopardize the country's stability. ■
Lebanese people inspect the site of the Israeli air strikes on a bridge near the Rashidieh Palestinian refugee camp, in south Lebanon, April 7, 2023. Loud explosions were heard early Friday morning around the Lebanese city of Tyre immediately after the Israel Defense Forces informed the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) that they would begin an artillery response to rocket launches from south Lebanon, said the UN peacekeeping outfit in a press statement. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)
Lebanese people inspect the site of the Israeli air strikes on a bridge near the Rashidieh Palestinian refugee camp, in south Lebanon, April 7, 2023. Loud explosions were heard early Friday morning around the Lebanese city of Tyre immediately after the Israel Defense Forces informed the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) that they would begin an artillery response to rocket launches from south Lebanon, said the UN peacekeeping outfit in a press statement. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)
People check the damaged house in the Israeli air strike that targeted a garden near the city of Tyre, southern Lebanon, April 7, 2023. Loud explosions were heard early Friday morning around the Lebanese city of Tyre immediately after the Israel Defense Forces informed the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) that they would begin an artillery response to rocket launches from south Lebanon, said the UN peacekeeping outfit in a press statement. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)
Lebanese people inspect the site of the Israeli air strikes on a bridge near the Rashidieh Palestinian refugee camp, in south Lebanon, April 7, 2023. Loud explosions were heard early Friday morning around the Lebanese city of Tyre immediately after the Israel Defense Forces informed the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) that they would begin an artillery response to rocket launches from south Lebanon, said the UN peacekeeping outfit in a press statement. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)
Lebanese children look at the destruction of a bridge near the Rashidieh Palestinian refugee camp, in south Lebanon, April 7, 2023. Loud explosions were heard early Friday morning around the Lebanese city of Tyre immediately after the Israel Defense Forces informed the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) that they would begin an artillery response to rocket launches from south Lebanon, said the UN peacekeeping outfit in a press statement. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)
Lebanese people inspect the site of the Israeli air strikes on agricultural lands near the city of Tyre, south Lebanon, April 7, 2023. Loud explosions were heard early Friday morning around the Lebanese city of Tyre immediately after the Israel Defense Forces informed the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) that they would begin an artillery response to rocket launches from south Lebanon, said the UN peacekeeping outfit in a press statement. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)
A man checks the damaged roof of a house in the Israeli air strike that targeted a garden near the city of Tyre, southern Lebanon, April 7, 2023. Loud explosions were heard early Friday morning around the Lebanese city of Tyre immediately after the Israel Defense Forces informed the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) that they would begin an artillery response to rocket launches from south Lebanon, said the UN peacekeeping outfit in a press statement. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)
