Hezbollah fires rockets at northern Israel

At least 14 rocket alerts sounded through Thursday morning in communities near Israel's northern border with Lebanon as Israeli forces fight Hezbollah despite the U.S.-Iran ceasefire.

Footage from the border area showed long rocket trails in the sky and plumes of smoke signalling interceptions.

Calls have been mounting for the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran -- agreed late on Tuesday -- to be extended to Israel's war with Hezbollah, which Israel has said is not included.

Israel on Wednesday unleashed what it said was its "largest coordinated strike" on Lebanon since the war began, killing more than 200 people and wounding over 1,000, according to Lebanon's health ministry.

Hours later, Iran-backed Hezbollah said it had fired rockets towards Israel in response to what it called a violation of the U.S.-Iran truce.

Since midnight, at least 14 rounds of sirens warning of incoming rocket fire have sounded in northern Israel. In the city of Kiryat Shmona alone, there have been at least six alerts.

For some residents, the continuation of fighting along Israel's northern front is seen as the lesser of two evils.

"Actually, we're quite pleased, even rather relieved, that Lebanon is not included in the ceasefire agreement with Iran, because it's a threat that weighs directly on us," said Florence, who lives in the northern mixed Jewish-Arab town of Maalot-Tarshiha and declined to give her last name.

"In recent weeks, we've clearly seen that Hezbollah has grown stronger since 2024 and that it continues to threaten the civilian population in northern Israel," she told AFP by phone, saying she was speaking "on behalf of many people".

After Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel on March 2 in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli killing of Iran's supreme leader, Israel invaded southern Lebanon and launched massive air raids in the area.