Waves of rocket fire from Lebanon hit Israel, killing 7 in deadliest strikes

Rocket barrages fired from Lebanon killed seven people in northern Israel on Thursday authorities said hitting agricultural areas along the border and near the city of Haifa in backtoback attacks that represented the deadliest spate of strikes from Lebanon since the Israeli military invaded the country earlier this monthThe 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 in the Biden administrations final months Pressure has been building ahead of the US election next weekLebanons Hezbollah militant group has been firing thousands of rockets drones and missiles into Israel and drawing fierce Israeli retaliatory strikes in the year since Hamas October 7 attack out of the Gaza Strip triggered Israels invasion and bombardment of the Palestinian enclave Both Hezbollah and Hamas are backed by Iran Israels regional adversary Hezbollah did not immediately claim responsibility for Thursdays rocket fireThe conflict along Israels northern border escalated into a fullblown war last month when Israel launched a wave of heavy airstrikes across Lebanon that killed Hezbollahs top leader Hassan Nasrallah and most of his deputies Israeli ground forces pushed into southern Lebanon on October 1 Over the past year the broadening Israeli campaign against Hezbollah has killed 2800 people in Lebanon wounded nearly 13000 and devastated Lebanese towns near the borderSome 12 million people in Lebanon have been displaced since Israels escalation in September Hezbollahs intensified rocket attacks into Israel have forced 60000 Israelis to evacuate from communities near the border Over a year into the war they remain displaced On Thursday projectiles from Lebanon crashed into an agricultural area in Metula Israels northernmost town killing four foreign workers and an Israeli farmer in the deadliest such attack since Israel launched its ground invasion The residents of Metula evacuated in October 2023 and only security officials and agricultural workers remainThe Hotline for Refugees and Migrants an Israeli organisation that advocates for foreign workers said authorities had put them in danger by allowing them to work along the border without proper protection Hours later the Israeli military reported another volley of some 25 rockets crossing into Israel from Lebanon striking an olive grove in a suburb of the northern port city of HaifaThursdays second barrage killed a 30yearold man and 60yearold woman reported Magen David Adom Israels main emergency medical organisation and wounded two others Israeli media reported that the victims had gathered to harvest olives at the time of the attackAgricultural areas along Israels border where much of the countrys orchards are located are closed military zones patrolled by Israeli troops that can only be entered with official permission For the few residents remaining in the area the thump of missile interceptions by Israels Iron Dome aerial defense system and the constant wailing of sirens warning of incoming rocket fire punctuate daily lifeNonetheless local officials in Israel largely support continuing a ground operation in southern Lebanon Amos Hochstein a special adviser to President Biden on the IsraelHezbollah conflict has been pushing for a ceasefire deal to address the fighting with Hezbollah in LebanonIf the Israeli government will accede to an agreement that was brought by Amos Hochstein we will not have it because for us this is rehabilitating Hezbollah again on our borders said Eitan Davidi the mayor of the northern town of Margaliot where air raid sirens sounded repeatedly Thursday Hezbollah is firing towards civilians and farmers and hit innocent farmers that are working in the fieldHezbollahs newly named top leader Sheikh Naim Kassem said in a video statement Wednesday that the militant group will keep fighting Israel until it is offered ceasefire terms it deems acceptable He said it has recovered from a series of setbacks in recent months including attacks using explosive pagers and walkietalkies that was widely blamed on IsraelHezbollahs capabilities are still available and compatible with a long war he said Earlier on Thursday the Israeli military warned people to evacuate from more areas of southern Lebanon as airstrikes in different parts of the country killed eight people according to Lebanons staterun National News AgencyThousands of people have fled from Baalbek the main city in Lebanons eastern Bekaa Valley and surrounding areas in the last 24 hours following Israeli evacuation warnings Jean Fakhry a local official in the Deir alAhmar region in the Bekaa Valley said Israeli airstrikes pummeling the area turned the main highway a parking lot of fleeing cars stuck in traffic Around 12000 displaced people are staying in the area he said with most taking refuge in private homesAt one of the shelters in Deir alAhmar families with luggage were still arriving on Thursday Our homes were destroyed said Zahraa Younis from the village near Baalbek We came with nothing no clothes or anything elseThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever