ISTANBUL

Israel claimed on Saturday that it intercepted a rocket launched from the east, as well as two drones from Lebanon, following warning sirens were activated in Eilat in the south and Nahariya and parts of western Galilee in the north.

The Israeli army said in a statement that it detected and intercepted a rocket launched from the east before it entered Israeli airspace. The term "east" is typically used by the Israeli army to refer to drones launched from Iraq.

In a separate statement, the Israeli army said it intercepted two drones launched from Lebanon towards western Galilee.

Regional tension has escalated due to Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 43,700 people, mostly women and children, since last year.

The conflict has spread to Lebanon, with Israel launching deadly strikes across the country in an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah since the start of the Gaza war.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi