Three rockets were launched toward Israel, two of them crashing within Syria and one landing in an open space in the Golan Heights, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit reported late Saturday.
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No injuries or damage were reported as a result of the rocket's landing in Israel, and the military added that missile defense systems in the area weren't deployed as it detected the rocket would land in an open field, as is the accepted procedure.
Earlier on Saturday Lebanon’s military announced it had discovered rocket launching pads aimed toward Israel in agricultural fields in the country's south. According to a statement released by the Lebanese army, "the launch pads were armed several days ago, and forces are dismantling and neutralizing the rockets."
This comes after rocket sirens blared throughout northern Israel on Thursday and the army confirmed the Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted 36 rockets fired from Lebanon in the worst escalation on the northern front since the 2006 war against Hezbollah.
The rocket launch comes just a day after Israeli military jets struck Palestinian militant targets in both Lebanon and the Gaza Strip following an unusual burst of rocket fire from southern Lebanon.
Tensions are also running high in the capital of Jerusalem, where Palestinian worshippers have scuffled with Israeli police in the most sensitive holy site, the compound home to Al-Aqsa Mosque.
On Friday, separate attacks in the West Bank and in Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial hub, killed two British-Israeli sisters and an Italian tourist.
The escalation prompted Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to extend a closure on Saturday barring entrance to Israel for Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip for the duration of the Jewish holiday of Passover, while police beefed up forces in Jerusalem on the eve of sensitive religious celebrations.
The moves come after days of violence across the region at a time of heightened religious fervor – with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan coinciding with Passover and Easter celebrations. Jerusalem’s Old City, home to key Jewish, Muslim, and Christian holy sites, has been teeming with visitors and religious pilgrims from around the world.
Gallant said that a closure imposed last Wednesday, on the eve of Passover, would remain in effect until the holiday ends on Wednesday night. The order prevents Palestinians from entering Israel for work or to pray in Jerusalem this week, though mass prayers were permitted at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday.
Gallant also ordered the Israeli military to be prepared to assist Israeli police. The army later announced that it was deploying additional troops around Jerusalem and in the West Bank.
Over 2,000 police were expected to be deployed in Jerusalem on Sunday – when tens of thousands of Jews are expected to gather at the Western Wall for the special Passover priestly blessing. The Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray and sits next to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, where large crowds gather each day for prayers during Ramadan.
Jerusalem police chief Doron Turgeman met with his commanders on Saturday for a security assessment. He accused the Hamas militant group, which rules the Gaza Strip, of trying to incite violence ahead of Sunday’s priestly blessing with false claims that Jews planned to storm the mosque.
“We will allow the freedom of worship and we will allow the arrival of Muslims to pray,” he said, adding that police “will act with determination and sensitivity” to ensure that all faiths can celebrate safely.
The current round of violence erupted earlier in the week after Israeli police raided the mosque, firing tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of Palestinians who had barricaded themselves inside. Violent scenes from the raid sparked unrest in the contested capital and outrage across the Arab world.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.