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3. Israel says synagogue hit in 'rocket barrage' on Haifa

Israel's military said two people were injured when a synagogue was hit Saturday in the northern coastal city of Haifa following a "heavy rocket barrage" by Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

"This is yet another clear example of Hezbollah's deliberate targeting of Israeli civilians," the military said in a statement. Separately, the army said it had intercepted some of "approximately 10 projectiles" that crossed from Lebanon into Israel.

Hezbollah claimed several rocket attacks on northern Israel, saying it targeted military sites including a naval base in the Haifa area.

Air raid sirens had been activated Saturday in Haifa and surrounding communities in northern Israel, the military said.

Israeli emergency service provider Magen Adam David said its teams had found "no victims" from rocket shrapnel at this stage.

But it said five people, aged between 16 and 70, were "mildly injured" as they rushed to shelter. They were taken to hospital.

Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli army announced the death of a soldier killed during combat in southern Lebanon.

The soldier's death means 48 Israeli troops have been killed in combat with Hezbollah since September 30, when Israel sent ground forces into Lebanon.

On September 23 Israel escalated air strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon and a week later sent troops into the country's south, after a year of relatively low-level cross-border exchanges which Hezbollah said were in support of Hamas fighting Israel in Gaza.

(with AFP)