Hizbollah rockets strike deeper into Israel

Hizbollah guerrillas fired more than 300 rockets into Israel today, Lebanese security officials said. Witnesses say a Hizbollah rocket hit the West Bank for the first time.

An Associated Press reporter in south-east Lebanon reported seeing about two dozen rockets launched from one area.

Israel medics said one of the rockets hit near the town of Beit Shean, 70 kilometers from the border and the deepest rocket strike into Israel so far. Israeli police and rescue services said that rocket strike was one of at least 84 that were fired by Hizbollah at towns across northern Israel. The Israeli reports said at least seven people were wounded.

The discrepancy in the number of launches could not immediately be reconciled.

An Associated Press reporter standing on a hilltop overlooking the Lebanese border town of Kfar Kila, about 2 kilometers from Israel, saw outgoing rockets fly overhead and across the Israeli border. The barrage of about two dozen rockets was fired around 10:30 a.m. (0730GMT).

They were fired from a region that includes Khiam, Marjayoun and Ibl el-Saqi — all within about 5 kilometers of the Israeli border and scene of heavy ground fighting and artillery shelling in the past two days.

Plumes of black smoke rose from the hills above Kfar Kila and the nearby village of Adeisse, where the thud of Israeli artillery was constant. Shells were falling about once every two minutes.