Heavy damage in Israel after rocket fire from Lebanon: report

JERUSALEM (AA) – A rocket fired from resistance forces in Lebanon has caused heavy damage in an Israeli settlement in northern Israel, local media reported.

Israeli Channel 12 said five rockets were fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon into Upper Galilee in northern Israel.

According to the broadcaster, a rocket hit a building in the Kiryat Shmona settlement, causing heavy damage.

No injuries or fatalities were reported.

Israeli media reported earlier that a cease-fire deal is expected to be announced between Israel and Hezbollah shortly.

Lebanese parliamentarian Qassem Hashem also said on Monday that a cease-fire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel is nearing completion and could be declared within the next 36 hours if negotiations proceed smoothly.

“The atmosphere is positive, and cease-fire discussions have reached an advanced stage. It’s only a matter of hours before an agreement is finalized and announced if progress continues as expected,” Hashem said.

Israel has escalated its airstrikes in Lebanon against what it claims are Hezbollah targets as part of year-long warfare against the Lebanese resistance group since the start of the Gaza war last year.

Israel has killed more than 3,760 people in Lebanon, with nearly 15,700 injured and over a million displaced since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Defying global calls for restraint, Israel expanded the war on October 1 this year by launching a ground assault into southern Lebanon.