The IDF struck along the entire Lebanese border on Wednesday afternoon, August 4, after three rockets were fired towards the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona.

Sirens sounded in Kiryat Shmona and the communities of Kfar Giladi and Tel Hai at around noon, sending thousands to bomb shelters. Magen David Adom emergency services said they treated four people for anxiety attacks following the rocket fire.

The IDF said it identified three launches from Lebanon. One failed and fell inside Lebanese territory, while two others hit open areas inside Israel.

Shortly afterwards the IDF retaliated with artillery shells towards the launch sites. Some six artillery shells were fired by the IDF towards an open area in Lebanon located north of Metula, according to Hezbollah-affiliated reporter Ali Shoaib.

The military later carried out large-scale retaliation across the entire border.

Following the rocket fire, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) released a statement saying that they had received reports of rocket fire from Lebanon towards Israel.

“UNIFIL’s Head of Mission and Force Commander, Maj.-Gen. Stefano Del Col, was in immediate contact with the parties. He urged them to cease fire and to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation, especially on this solemn anniversary,” the statement read, adding that “UNIFIL remains fully engaged with the parties through our liaison and coordination channels and we are working with the Lebanese Armed Forces to ensure immediate follow-up on the ground and to reinforce security along the Blue Line.”

Though the city of Kiryat Shmona said it had opened bomb shelters, the military said that there was no change in instructions and that residents near the border could continue with their daily routines.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Defense Minister Benny Gantz were updated about the rocket fire while in the Knesset plenum. Bennett will receive regular updates as needed.

Gantz also conducted a situational analysis with Kohavi, head of the Political-Military Bureau at the Defense Ministry Zohar Palti, head of the IDF’s Operations Directorate Oded Besiok and head of IDF Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Tamir Heiman.

Gantz ordered that a strict message be sent to UNIFIL concerning the rocket fire, his office said.

It is still unclear who fired the rockets early but it is believed to be the same Palestinian militants who have fired close to a dozen rockets since May.

While Hezbollah has full control in south Lebanon, the Shiite terror group is not suspected to be behind any rocket fire. The group is believed to have nevertheless given tacit consent to the group to fire towards Israel.

Twice this week, the IDF fired flares along the border with Lebanon after suspicions of infiltrations were reported along the border fence. No infiltrations into Israeli territory were identified in either incident.

Three weeks ago two rockets were fired towards Israel, setting off incoming rocket sirens in communities along the border including Rosh Hanikra, Shlomi, Kabri and Hanita. One rocket was intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system and the other struck an open field.

Gantz said at the time that Lebanon was responsible for the rocket fire.

“The one responsible for the night shooting is the Lebanese state, which allows terrorist acts from inside its territory. The State of Israel will act in the face of any threat to its sovereignty and its citizens and will respond in accordance with its interests, at the relevant time and place,” he warned.

In May, during Operation Guardian of the Walls, a dozen rockets were fired into Israel from the same area in Lebanon, causing several people to be injured while running for shelter.

For the first time since the Second Lebanon War in 2006, incoming rocket sirens were activated in the southern Galilee region, as well as the Haifa suburbs of Kiryat Bialik and Kiryat Motzkin after four rockets were fired.

The IDF fired back toward the source of the rocket launch in Lebanon with some 22 tank and artillery shells.

Several days earlier, six rockets were fired from Rachaya Al Foukhar, north of Kfar Choub in southern Lebanon. All fell short of the border and landed inside Lebanese territory and the IDF fired back toward the source of the rocket launch in Lebanon with some 22 tank and artillery shells.

In a recent interview, Col. Raz Haimlich, Commander of the Artillery Corps Fire Brigade 411th “Keren” Battalion, told The Jerusalem Post that with the Lebanese economy in free-fall, the IDF is concerned that there may be an increase of incidents along its northern border.

“The Lebanese economy is not good, and that can lead to things happening on the border,” he said.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah is set to deliver a speech on Saturday evening to mark the anniversary of the Second Lebanon War.

The rocket fire also comes as tensions remain high in the region after an Israeli-managed tanker was targeted by an Iranian drone strike, killing a British and a Romanian civilian. Officials from the United States, Israel and the United Kingdom have warned that they will respond to the attack. Iran denies any involvement in the incident.

On Tuesday, a tanker was hijacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, with the hijackers leaving the vessel on Wednesday.

Wednesday, August 4 also marked one year since the explosion at the Beirut Port, in which over 200 people were killed and thousands were wounded.

By Anna Ahronheim and Tzvi Joffre/Jpost.com