Inspecting the damage

Rockets Hit Northern Israel

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benyamin Netanyahu, has given a warning that his country's forces will respond severely.

The Israeli army said two salvoes involving dozens of Katyusha rockets were fired from Lebanon early on Tuesday.

Many struck the town of Kiryat Shmona. One house took a direct hit, and a man was injured as he drove to work.

Residents were ordered to take to bomb shelters in case more attacks followed.

The cross-border strike follows heavy violence in Lebanon on Monday. In one incident, seven Lebanese civilians died and dozens were injured when the coastal city of Sidon was shelled.

Israel was quick to distance itself from that attack, saying it was the work of a lone commander with Israel's Lebanese ally, the South Lebanon Army. But Hezbullah warned Israel there had to be security for civilians on both sides of their borders.

The Israeli leader Benyamin Netanyahu has called for an end to a circle of deterioration which, he said, didn't serve the interest of either side. But in a statement the Prime Minister warned Hezbullah that Israel would respond severely to attacks against its civilians.

In the past Israel has retaliated firmly and swiftly, often with air strikes deep inside Lebanon, north of Israel's self-declared security zone.