A day after the Israeli Army warned Hezbollah of “total war”, the militant group fired a fresh barrage of projectiles into northern Israel on Wednesday, the Israeli army said. It added that about 15 projectiles were fired but its defence system intercepted most.
Corroborating the Israelis, Hezbollah said on Wednesday that it fired “dozens of Katyusha rockets and artillery rounds” at a barracks in Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel in retaliation for the “Israeli enemy attacks” on Yarun and Khiam.
The clashes came a day after the Israeli military said it had approved operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon. The approval came as Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned Hezbollah on Tuesday that it would be annihilated in the event of a conflict between the two.
“We are very close to the moment when we will decide to change the rules of the game against Hezbollah and Lebanon,” he said in a statement.
“In a total war, Hezbollah will be destroyed and Lebanon will be hit hard.” He added.
The Iran-backed militant group which is also a Hamas ally, have been trading almost daily exchanges with Israel since the Gaza war.
The Israel-Lebanon clashes have killed at least 478 people in Lebanon, most of them fighters but also including 93 civilians. Israeli authorities say at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed in the country’s north.