The Israeli army has buried one of its soldiers killed in a Hezbollah raid. The funeral took place at a military cemetery in the town of Modiin. Twenty-four Israelis have been killed in fighting since Wednesday, 12 of them civilians. Rockets fired late on Sunday by Hezbollah struck deeper into Israel than ever before, hitting the town of Afula, 50 kilometres south of the border.

At least one rocket landed near the town of Nazareth, home to Israel’s largest Arab community. The Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday warned Lebanon of “far-reaching consequences” after the Hezbollah attack on Haifa on Sunday morning that killed eight people. Israel is standing firm despite the day-to-day escalation of the crisis.

One of the Israeli towns suffering the most is Kiryat Shmona right on the Lebanon-Israel border. Most residents have fled. One shop sign has a stark message: “We are not afraid of you Nasrallah. The people of Israel have stood strong for 3,000 years”.

Copyright © 2012 euronews