ISTANBUL

Lebanese group Hezbollah attacked several military sites in northern Israel on Sunday amid a growing escalation between the two sides.

Hezbollah said its fighters targeted the Marj site with “appropriate weapons,” resulting in a direct hit.

The group also struck with missiles the Barakat Risha and al-Raheb posts, saying the attacks were “in support of the steadfast Palestinian people and their resistance.”

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army on the attacks.

Fears have grown about a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah amid a months-long exchange of cross-border fire, especially with Hezbollah threatening military retaliation after the assassination of its top commander Fouad Shukr in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on July 30.

The escalation comes against the backdrop of an Israeli onslaught against the Gaza Strip which has killed nearly 39,800 people since last October following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi