Israel intercepts a Hezbollah missile aimed at Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv

(With information from AFP) The Israeli military reported Wednesday that a missile fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon reached the Tel Aviv region for the first time, although it was shot down by anti-missile defense.

"This is the first time a Hezbollah missile has reached the Tel Aviv area" in central Israel, an army spokesman told AFP, adding that the projectile "was intercepted" by the air defense.

The terrorist organization Hezbollah confirmed the launch and said it was a Qader 1 ballistic missile that was fired at 06h30 (03h30 GMT) "targeting the Mossad headquarters in the suburbs of Tel Aviv."

The pro-Iranian Islamist formation added that the Mossad is "responsible for the assassassination of the leaders" of Hezbollah "and for the explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies" that left dozens dead last week in Lebanon.

It is the first time since clashes began between Israel and Hezbollah, following the start of the war in the Gaza Strip following the terrorist massacre perpetrated by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, that the pro-Iranian terror group hits Israeli soil with a ballistic missile.

Israel says it is carrying out "wide-ranging" strikes in southern Lebanon

Since Monday, Israel launched a wave of intense Israeli strikes on Hezbollah strongholds in southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as in Beirut's southern suburbs.

On Wednesday, the Israeli army said it was carrying out "wide-ranging attacks" in southern Lebanon, just hours after intercepting the terrorist group's missile launched against Tel Aviv.

The army "is currently carrying out wide-ranging attacks in southern Lebanon and in the Bekaa region," it said in a statement picked up by AFP.