Israel army responds to projectile fired from Lebanon with artillery: military

A projectile was fired from Lebanon into northern Israel, prompting a response from the Israeli army, the military said early on Monday.

The projectile fell in an open field near a kibbutz, a form of intentional community existing in Israel, the country's army said in a statement which made no mention of casualties.

"In response to the projectile launched from Lebanon into northern Israel earlier tonight, [Israeli army] Artillery forces are currently targeting the source of the launch in Lebanon," the military said.

The attack was not immediately claimed by any group.

Lebanon's National News Agency said the rocket fire was carried out by unidentified groups and that Lebanese forces had deployed to the area, with calm returning before sunrise.

It comes as Israel has repeatedly attacked occupied East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque – the third-holiest mosque in all Islam and the holiest in Palestine – in recent days, though the reasoning behind the rocket fire was not immediately clear.

Neighbours Lebanon and Israel are technically in a state of war.

Israel and Lebanon's Shia Muslim militant group Hezbollah exchanged fire across the heavily guarded border last summer.

The two sides fought a devastating war in 2006 after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers.

The 34-day conflict killed 1,200 people in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.

It ended with a UN-backed ceasefire that saw the Lebanese army deploy in border areas.