Israel warns it will respond to rockets fired from Lebanon

"We cannot allow fire from Lebanon on Galilee communities," Katz said in a statement. "The Lebanese government is responsible for attacks from its territory. I have ordered the military to respond accordingly."

Air raid sirens sounded at 7:30 am (0530 GMT) in Metula, an Israeli town near the Lebanese border.

The Israeli military later said three rockets had entered Israeli territory but were intercepted.

"We promised security to Galilee communities, and that is exactly what will happen," Katz said. "Metula's fate is the same as Beirut's."

The official National News Agency in Lebanon said Israeli warplanes flew over eastern areas of southern Lebanon and that interceptor missiles exploded.

NNA said Israeli ground troops were strafing the Hamames hills with automatic weapon fire.

It also reported Israeli artillery fire on the Nabatieh district in the south and the town of Khiam, which was hit by "three shells (fired by) Merkava tanks".

The military also fired automatic weapons at the border villages of Hula, Markaba and Kfar Kila.

A November 27 truce largely halted more than a year of fighting between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel, including two months of full-blown war during which Israel sent in ground troops.