This is not the first time Israel has intercepted or downed Lebanon air vehicles/ Photo: AFP

Israel says it has downed a drone that infiltrated its airspace from Lebanon, according to an official statement on Friday.

The Israeli army said that its forces "identified a drone crossing from Lebanese territory to Israeli territory earlier today in the area of the settlement of Zerait and shot it down."

It added that the drone was monitored until being shot down. No immediate comment has yet been made from the Lebanese side on the I sraeli statement.

Early on Friday, the Israeli army launched a series of airstrikes on targets in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, saying that they were targeting the Hamas group.

Palestinian groups in Gaza also fired a barrage of rockets on Israeli settlements near the border.

Tensions has been running high over the past few days following Israeli assaults on worshipers in the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.

TRT Afrika and agencies