JERUSALEM

The Israeli army detected the launch of three drones from Yemen and Lebanon on Tuesday amid growing regional tensions over its deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip.

A military statement said a drone fired from Yemen landed in an open area in the southern city of Ashkelon.

Yemen’s Houthi group claimed responsibility for the drone attack, saying a number of drones succeeded in hitting their targets.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said his group will continue its attacks against Israel “in response to Israeli crimes in Gaza and Lebanon.”

The Israeli army also said its air defenses intercepted a drone fired from Lebanon towards Upper Galilee in northern Israel.

Another drone launched from Lebanese territory landed in an open area in Nahariya in northern Israel, a military statement said.

Regional tensions have escalated due to Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 43,000 people, mostly women and children, following a Hamas attack last year.

As the conflict spread to Lebanon with Israel launching deadly strikes across the country, over 2,700 people have been killed and more than 12,500 others injured in Israeli attacks since last year, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Despite international warnings that the Middle East region was on the brink of a regional war amid Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, Tel Aviv expanded the conflict by launching on Oct. 1 a ground assault into southern Lebanon.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar