Sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and 180 communities in central Israel, with the IDF citing a barrage of rockets from Lebanon and Hezbollah claiming responsibility.

According to the Israeli military, sirens sounded due to rockets, threatening areas of central Israel as well as Tel Aviv, leading millions of Israelis to take shelter.

The Israeli military also said interception efforts were made against missiles fired from Lebanon.

It was noted that due to the barrage of rockets, no civilian aircraft could land at the time when all Iron Dome batteries have been activated.

A video posted on the X platform shows a crowd of people running for their lives in fear of attacks from Lebanon. 

Photo shows results of an IDF rocket interception operation, in particular a rocket fragment is seen in the Holon suburb of Tel Aviv.

At the end of the picture, a shot of a helicopter in the Telon city of Tel Aviv.

In its latest update, the Israeli army noted that three rockets fired from Lebanon towards densely populated areas of central Israel were intercepted.

So far, he stressed, there are no reports of serious injuries.

Reports, however, say one man was hit as he was walking towards shelter.

Amid an exchange of fire between Israel and Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene a security council at 8:30 p.m. in Tel Aviv.

The meeting comes as Israel continues to insist it will respond to Iran after Tehran’s missile attack two weeks ago.

The strikes in northern Lebanon

Earlier, the Lebanese Red Cross said Israeli fighters struck the country and its north for the first time since the start of operations in the country.

Specifically, according to the humanitarian organization, an apartment building in the village of Aitou in the province of Sgharta has been hit by Israeli fighter jets. The strike reportedly left at least 18 people dead while the number of injured remains unknown.

The north of Lebanon is not a stronghold of Shiite Hezbollah and the area that has been hit is a long-standing location where Christian populations, specifically Maronite Catholics, reside.