Israel Matzav

Breaking: War in Lebanon? UPDATED several times and now with video

Deja vu all over again?

Israel Radio just reported that within the last few minutes, Hezbullah (apparently) shot three Katyusha rockets into Nahariya, which is in northern Israel along the coast. Map and further updates to follow.

UPDATE 8:05 AM

They're now saying four Katyushas have fallen. Two people lightly injured and several in shock.

Map added.

No one knows yet if this is Hezbullah opening a northern front against or Nasrallah reminding us he's still there.

This happened at 7:35 AM - about half an hour ago.

Nahariya is due north of Acre just below the "UN buffer zone."

UPDATE 8:11 AM

Hezbullah's al-Manar television and Lebanon's al-Mustaqbal confirm Katyusha fire. No group has taken responsibility.

Al-Manar reports that IDF responded with artillery rounds at 8:00 to Wadi Chamoul, which is the source of the shooting. That is south of the Litani River in the area 'patrolled' by UNIFIL.

UPDATE 8:14 AM

Fourth rocket hit Kabri - somewhere in the western Galilee.

IDF and police have ordered that bomb shelters in the towns hit should be opened.

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Israel Radio's military correspondent Carmela Menashe confirms that Israel should artillery in response.

Al-Jazeera's correspondent in Lebanon claims this wasn't Hezbullah because they were old rockets and if Hezbullah wanted to start a war, they would have shot more and newer rockets.

UPDATE 8:23 AM

Meanwhile, two rockets on Ashkelon in the last few minutes. This was the first time Hamas shot pretty much all night.

Helicopters flying over Jerusalem. This is nothing unusual but thought I would note it.

Hospital director in Nahariya says they got two people lightly wounded with glass shards from an old age home in Nahariya and two employees of the old age home in shock. Sounds like a rocket landed near the old age home.

Hospital has been on alert since Gaza story started two weeks ago.

UPDATE 8:26 AM

One rocket fell in the center of Nahariya - that's where the injuries came from.

All shelters in Nahariya opened - were inspected last week.

No school today in Nahariya.

No school in Shlomi (on the Lebanese border).

UPDATE 8:34 AM

I've updated to add a second map. On the second map, the blue line is the internationally recognized border. Or at least it was internationally recognized until Israel withdrew to it. Then the UN decided it wasn't the border anymore so Hezbullah will continue to have an excuse to go to war with us.

Israel Radio is reporting that these are NOT Hezbullah rockets and the way in which they were spread out is NOT the way Hezbullah does things.

UPDATE 8:37 AM

You will find Nahariya on the second map on the extreme left just below the blue line (on the Israeli side).

Israel Television Channel 10 correspondent Zvi Yechezkeli says it doesn't make sense that Hezbullah would subcontract shooting from southern Lebanon.

This is the same village in which Katyushas were found the night before the Gaza action started.

They're speculating that it's 'Palestinians' firing in sympathy with Hamas, but that they are subcontractors for Hezbullah allowing it to deny that it had anything to do with it and to avoid an Israeli response. This actually makes sense to me.

It is in the interest of all sides that this not become another front in the current war.

At the end of the day, Nasrallah does not want a front against Israel, because he knows that Israel will finish what it started in 2006.

But will it stay at this and not become another front? At the moment things appear to be under control.

UPDATE 8:42 AM

In Gaza, Israel massively bombed the Philadelphi corridor during the night.

Blue Eye reports Lebanese rockets say five rockets were shot from Lebanon (link in Hebrew). No confirmation.

Blue Eye reports that Israel shot five artillery rounds in response.

Blue Eye (who apparently speaks Arabic as well) reports that schools in south Lebanon are also closed.

In the 8:37 update I corrected "fired" to "found" in the report on rockets in Lebanon the night before the Gaza action.

Lebanese army on high alert.

Blue Eye reports that the rockets were shot from next to a UNIFIL base. Yet another reason why the UN and its monitors are useless! You may recall that they don't go out at night!

UPDATE 8:52 AM

It was a miracle that there was not more damamge at the old age home, which apparently took a direct hit. They had two lightly wounded with glass shards and four people in shock.

A second Katyusha in Nahariya caused property damage.

The alarm system did not work - they didn't know this was coming. They are checking why it didn't work.

The security forces have examined the rockets and so far they show that they are old missiles as we heard from the Lebanese side. They probably do not belong to Hezbullah.

Blue Eye (same link as before) reports that the Lebanese army has just discovered eight more rockets that were aimed at Israel (where was the Lebanese army before?).

Kassam code red alarm just went off in Sderot (twice).

Blue Eye reports Hamas has taken responsibility for firing the rockets from Lebanon.

There are IAF planes in the skies of Lebanon.

Lebanon's Naharnet reported last night that Nasrallah said that "all possibilities" are open against Israel.

"We have to act as though all possibilities are real and open with Israel and we must always be ready for any eventuality," Nasrallah told tens of thousands of supporters via video link at his stronghold in Beirut's suburbs on the occasion of Ashoura.

"I tell (Israeli Prime Minister Ehud) Olmert, the loser, the defeated in Lebanon, that you cannot wipe out Hamas or Hizbullah," Nasrallah vowed.

"Your jets will not frighten us, and your threats will not frighten us. We are ready for any aggression," Nasrallah said, adding that in the event of a new offensive on Lebanon "you will discover what is waiting for you."

"You will realize that the 2006 war was but a walk in the park," he said, adding: "We are ready to sacrifice our souls, our brothers and sisters, our children, our loved ones for what we believe in."

Israel Radio just reported that combat helicopters fired at the sources of the rockets, but that the diameter of the rockets is not one that Hezbullah has.

UNIFIL has now shown up on the scene and is 'looking for the shooters!'

Hezbullah says it has much better rockets and if it wanted to start a war it would shoot 'tens' or rockets.

Naharnet (on home page in live coverage) reports that Hamas in Lebanon denies responsibility.

Heavy gunfire in Beit Lahiya in Gaza (this is now Israel Radio's 9:00 AM news).

Dollar now up to NIS 3.90. Euro also up against the Shekel (good news for me on the dollar!).

UPDATE 10:37 AM

Israel Radio now reporting that Popular Front for the Liberation of 'Palestine' - Ahmad Jibril's group - is likely responsible for this morning's rocket fire. Blue Eye reports that PFLP will 'neither confirm nor deny' the story.

Lebanese villagers fled from their homes as soon as Israel started firing back (apparently someone is still afraid of us). Hezbullah urged them to return home.

Hamas (Damascus and Beirut) has been pressuring Hezbullah to do something in support of Hamas in Gaza.

Here's CNN's initial report on the attack. Note that with the perspective of three hours, they have gone way overboard.

Let's go to the videotape.

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And now the videotape.



UPDATE 11:00 AM

Make that three lightly wounded and 13 shock victims in the early morning attack.

UPDATE 1:00 PM

JPost's final version of this story is here.

UPDATE 3:24 PM

More here and here.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:00 AM