Illustrative photo of two Israeli F-15I ‘Ra’am’ fighter jets during maneuvers (photo credit: CC BY-TSgt Kevin J. Gruenwald/USA/Wikimedia/Times of Israel)

(Washington, D.C.) — Early this morning, Israel retaliated for yesterday’s rocket attacks from Lebanon. Given the tragedies unfolding in Syria and Egypt, please pray that a new front isn’t opened. Let us be praying for calm and order to be restored throughout the epicenter, wisdom for the leaders, and comfort and healing for those who have been wounded and traumatized.

Here are the latest developments:

“Israeli fighter jets bombed targets south of Beirut early Friday morning in what the IDF spokesperson said was retaliation for rocket attacks against northern Israel the day before,” reports the Times of Israel. “There were no immediate reports of casualties in the attack. According to the Israeli military, the pilots reported a pinpoint strike on terrorist targets near the coastal town of al-Naameh. The IDF reiterated that it holds the Lebanese government responsible for Thursday’s rocket fire into northern Israel.”

“IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai announced on Facebook just before 5 a.m. Friday morning that ‘In response to rocket fire at the north [on Thursday] afternoon, IAF aircraft struck a terrorist target south of Beirut overnight,” the Times noted. “Mordechai added: “At this hour, in which our planes returned safely, I wish a good and quiet morning to all residents of Israel and especially residents of the north and those traveling there.'”

Excerpts:

• Residents of Beirut took to Twitter and reported explosions and what they believed were Israeli aircraft flying over al-Naameh, approximately 15 kilometers south of the Lebanese capital. According to several users, the target was the headquarters of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC).
• Ramez Mustafa, a Lebanon-based official with the PFLP-GC, said the raid occurred at 4 a.m. and caused no casualties or damage.
• The IDF spokesperson would not confirm whether the PFLP-GC’s headquarters were the target of Friday’s strike.
• According to University of Maryland researcher Phillip Smyth, the PFLP-GC is an ally of Hezbollah, and also serves as a proxy to Iran and Syrian President Bashar Assad in Lebanon.
• Friday’s foray into Lebanon came less than a day after four rockets fired from Lebanon struck Israel’s north.

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