The Israeli army said Hezbollah fighters fired more than 100 rockets on northern Israel on Thursday, killing two people, wounding 92 others and hitting Haifa, Israel’s third largest city. Hezbollah denied firing into Haifa, but Israel described the incident as a “major escalation.”

• Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mark Regev: “Anyone who fires deliberately and indiscriminately into an urban area, a large metropolitan area like Haifa, has to understand that Israel will act to defend its citizens. No one, no democratic society, can tolerate this deliberate targeting of its civilian population.”

In Tel Aviv, dozens of Israelis gathered to protest the strikes on Lebanon.

• Unidentified protester: “I am here to protest against what my government is doing, this is absolutely a shame to do that. Its clear to me that there is no military solution and this is why I am here.”

The escalation has sparked international calls for restraint. The European Union and Russia have criticized Israel’s strikes in Lebanon as disproportionate. President Bush said Israel has the right to defend itself, but should not weaken the Lebanese government. The UN Security Council is due to hold an emergency meeting later on Friday. Lebanon has urged it to adopt a resolution calling for a ceasefire.