International Desk

Hezbollah said Wednesday it had fired a ballistic missile targeting Israeli spy agency Mossad's headquarters near Tel Aviv, saying that recent attacks on the militant group had been planned there.

It is the first time the group has claimed a ballistic missile strike since its nearly year-long battle with Israel began after Hamas carried out its October 7 attack.

Earlier Wednesday, Israel's military had said it intercepted a missile fired from Lebanon after sirens sounded in Tel Aviv.

"The Islamic Resistance launched a 'Qader 1' ballistic missile at 6:30 am (0330 GMT) on Wednesday, 25-9-2024, targeting the Mossad headquarters in the outskirts of Tel Aviv," Hezbollah said in a statement.

"This headquarters is responsible for the assassination of leaders and the explosion of pagers and wireless devices," it added, referring to attacks last week that killed scores in Lebanon including a top commander.

It also said the strike was carried out in support of the people of Gaza and "in defence of Lebanon and its people".

Longtime foes Hezbollah and Israel have been locked in near-daily exchanges of cross-border fire since Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7.

The Hamas attack sparked a war in Gaza that has drawn in Hezbollah and other Iran-backed militants from across the Middle East.

The focus of Israel's firepower has shifted sharply from Gaza to Lebanon in recent days.

The Lebanese health ministry said Israeli strikes killed at least 558 people on Monday -- the deadliest day of violence in the country since its 1975-90 civil war.