The militant group Hezbollah fired rockets at the Israeli city of Nazareth, the city where Jesus grew up. Two young brothers who were playing on the streets at the time of the attack were killed while 18 others were wounded.
This was the first attack by the Islamist group Hezbollah that reached religious sites in Israel. Nazareth is a key city in the Christian tradition and includes the Basilica of the Annunciation which stands where Christians believe the Angel Gabriel appeared before Mary and told her of the forthcoming birth of Jesus.
The town of 70,000 is the largest Arab population center in Northern Israel. The two children who were killed were Arab-Israeli brothers ages three and nine.
'It's a vacation and it's afternoon so where will they go if not to play in the streets?' eyewitness Mohammed Assawi told Israel's Channel 10. 'It is unpleasant to say what we saw.'
Local Arab leader Shawki al-Khatib told Israel's Channel 2 that the town does not have a working siren to warn residents of attacks.
Al-Khatib was not surprised by the hit on his town. 'A Katyusha that is fired does not discriminate,' he said.
More than 100 rockets were fired into Israel on Wednesday according to local medics. Meanwhile, the fighting continues.
