After Israel strikes Lebanon, both countries say 'they do not want war'

Tyre, Lebanon: The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon stated that both Israel and Lebanon “said they do not want war,” after the Israeli military launched strikes Friday at dawn following the firing of rockets into Israel from Lebanese territory. The UN peacekeepers called on “all parties to cease all actions” on both sides. A pair of explosions were heard in Gaza late Thursday. It was not immediately clear what was targeted.

The airstrikes came as Israel’s Security Cabinet was meeting to discuss a response to the rocket fire.

  Earlier in the day, militants in Lebanon fired a heavy barrage of rockets at Israel, the Israeli military said, forcing people across the country’s northern frontier into bomb shelters. The IDF said that 34 rockets had been fired at Israel and that 25 were shot down by the Iron Dome aerial defence system. Five rockets struck Israeli territory and the rest of the strikes were being investigated, security forces added. Also read: ‘Reject use of our soil for any escalation,’ says Lebanon PM after rocket attacks on Israel Regional tensions have escalated after Israeli police raided Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site- the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The unusually large salvo of rockets raised fears of a wider conflagration, as Israel’s arch enemy, the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, holds sway over much of southern Lebanon. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .