Israeli warplanes hit targets in Lebanon

Israeli warplanes struck in Lebanon today in what Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz described as the largest-scale Israeli response to cross-border attacks by Lebanese guerrillas since 2000.

The airstrike came a day after the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah fired mortars and rockets toward the Israeli-Lebanese border, wounding 11 Israeli soldiers and damaging a house in an Israeli border community.

The shelling sent thousands of Israeli civilians into bomb shelters. Israeli return fire killed four Hezbollah guerrillas.

Yesterday’s Hezbollah attack “was the largest-scale, most hostile since the departure of Israeli forces from Lebanon (in 2000),” Mofaz said on Israel Radio.

The Israeli response “was the widest against attempts by Hezbollah to escalate the situation,” he said, adding that he held Syria and Iran ultimately responsible.