Lebanon, Israel exchange fire

WATCH VIDEO

Source: CCTV.com | 01-09-2009 09:57

Northern Israel was pounded on Thursday morning by three rockets fired from Lebanon, which caused both injuries and damage.

Israel retaliated with a few artillery shells on Lebanon.

A Lebanese intelligence officer (R) inspects the site where rockets were fired into Israel, in Tayr Harfa  village, southern Lebanon January 8, 2009.  REUTERS/ Haidar Hawila

A Hezbollah minister in Lebanon's Cabinet has denied any involvement in the rocket attacks.

An Israeli nursing home was destroyed by the barrage of rockets fired from Lebanon. The Israelis responded with mortar fire.

Members from the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, crossed the border from southern Lebanon into northern Israel to examine the site where the salvo had hit.

Lebanon's government quickly condemned the rocket fire, saying it's trying to determine who was behind the attack. And Hezbollah denied any links with the incident.

Mohammad Fneish, Labor Minister, Hezbollah, Bloc, said, "We do not know the party that launched the rockets. We, Hezbollah, have the courage to announce what we are doing."

Hezbollah has said it does not want to draw Lebanon into a war with Israel, but the group says it's ready to fight if attacked.

Meanwhile, Israeli President Shimon Peres says the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is likely behind the rocket attacks.

Shimon Peres, Israeli President, said, "What I know is that the firing was probably done by one of the organizations, probably the Popular Front. They probably decided to do it by themselves, because the government of Lebanon and others have expressed reservations. The Israel Defense Forces responded immediately and will respond every time on the spot."

A 13-thousand-strong UN peacekeepers have been deployed along with Lebanese troops on the Israel-Lebanon border. The UN force has called on both sides to exercise maximum restraint.

Initial assessments show that the salvo might have been fired by Palestinian groups in Lebanon, although it's still not clear whether Hezbollah was also involved.

The brief cross-border exchange of fire was the first since Israel started attacking Hamas militants in Gaza. Previously, Israel fought a 34-day war with Hezbollah guerrillas based in Lebanon in the summer of 2006.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei