Fire contained at Israeli oil refinery hit by missile attack

Attack on Oil Refinery Facility in Northern Israel Confirmed

A missile barrage from Iran and Lebanon struck an oil refinery facility in northern Israel on Monday, according to reports from Israeli media outlets. The attack occurred at the Bazan oil refinery in Haifa, where a fire broke out and large plumes of black smoke were visible over the area.

The incident is the second reported attack on the facility since the US-Israeli war on Iran began last month. No casualties have been reported, according to Eitan Rifa, a fire commander at the scene. The blaze was reportedly caused by debris falling from the roof of a distillates tank, although it is unclear whether this was directly related to the missile strike.

The Bazan Group, which operates the refinery, confirmed that no casualties were reported in the attack. Iranian and Lebanese forces have carried out attacks across the Middle East against US and Israeli targets, including energy facilities and military installations.

Hezbollah, a Lebanese group allied with Iran, claimed responsibility for the attack on Monday, stating that its forces targeted an Israeli naval base in Haifa with advanced missiles. The Israeli military has responded to the attack by launching strikes across Lebanon and expanding its ground invasion of the country.

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began on March 2, following a rocket launch towards Israeli territory. Since then, the Israeli army has pushed deeper into Lebanese territory as part of a ground invasion aimed at rooting out Hezbollah fighters. The conflict has resulted in significant displacement of people, with over 1.2 million forced to leave their homes.

Separately, an Israeli attack on a military checkpoint in southern Lebanon killed one soldier and wounded others, according to the Lebanese army. Security analysts warn that Lebanon could become a deeper front in the war as Israel expands its ground invasion.

Source: Al Jazeera