Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon launched roughly 100 rockets into Israel on Wednesday, overwhelming parts of the country's Iron Dome missile defense system.
The barrage raised the prospect of a wider conflict along Israel's northern border, the New York Post reported, citing an Israel Defense Forces source.
The source said only about half of the rockets were intercepted.
Israeli officials said the military is preparing for the possibility of a ground invasion into Lebanon in response.
"The IDF will not tolerate any harm to Israeli civilians and will forcibly respond against any threat posed to the state of Israel," an IDF spokesperson said.
The Iron Dome missile defense system, a key component of Israel's air defenses, is designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery shells.
Radar tracks incoming projectiles and calculates whether they are headed toward populated areas.
Interceptor missiles are then launched only at those judged likely to strike cities or critical infrastructure, allowing the system to conserve ammunition during large barrages.
Israeli warplanes have already struck Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, including projectile launchers and other infrastructure used by the Iran-backed terrorist group.
It remains unclear whether the rocket attacks caused casualties or major damage inside Israel.
The barrage comes on the 12th day of the latest war between Israel and Iran and their regional allies, which began Feb. 28.
The United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes at the start of the conflict in an operation U.S. officials call Operation Epic Fury.
Hezbollah, Iran's most powerful regional proxy group, has long been expected to open a northern front against Israel in a major conflict involving Israel and Tehran.
Israeli civilians were placed on heightened alert Wednesday amid fears of further attacks from Lebanon or from other Iranian-backed groups.
One concern is the Houthi movement in Yemen, which has previously launched missiles and drones toward Israel. So far, the Houthis have not joined the current fighting, though analysts say the group may be holding weapons in reserve.
The involvement of Hezbollah, which possesses a large rocket arsenal, has raised fears that the conflict could expand into a regional war.
Israeli officials have warned that sustained rocket attacks from Lebanon could trigger a major ground offensive.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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