Israel launches airstrike attack on Lebanon after cross-border fire injured several people

As Israeli prepares for a ground offensive in Gaza's southernmost city, Rafah, it has also launched an airstrike campaign on Lebanon

Israel's military as begun an "extensive wave of attacks" in Lebanon, after a rocket attack into Israel injured several people.

The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) said it had struck “Hezbollah terror targets” in Lebanon, "including military compounds, operational control rooms, and terrorist infrastructure".

It says it is targeting Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed armed group that operates in Lebanon, adding that they will be "paying an increasingly heavy price".

"The next campaign will have a very strong offensive, and we will use all our tools and capabilities. There is still a long way to go, and we will do it together," the IDF Chief of General Staff, Herzi Halevi, said.

It comes after one soldier died and at least eight people were wounded after a rocket attack on the northern Israeli city of Safed on Wednesday, the Ziv Medical Center said in a statement. 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said a base in the north of the country was targeted by rockets from Lebanon, without specifying which city.

Hezbollah has not claimed the attack.

Clashes at the Lebanon-Israel border have been ongoing since the day after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

These exchanges are between Israel and Hezbollah, as well as other factions operating in southern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, in Gaza, the Israeli military has begun its ground assault around the southern city of Rafah.

Over half of Gaza's 2.3 million population have fled to Rafah from their homes due to Israeli evacuation orders and airstrikes.

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