Sirens sound north of Tel Aviv after drones cross border

The Israeli military on Friday said air raid sirens sounded in central Israel after two aerial drones entered the country from Lebanon, with at least one building damaged north of Tel Aviv during the incident.

"Following the sirens activated earlier in central Israel, two UAVs (drones) were identified crossing from Lebanese territory. The aircrafts were monitored the moment they crossed the border," the military said in a statement.

The Israeli Air Force "successfully intercepted one of the aircraft. At this stage, there is damage to a building in Herzliya. No casualties are currently reported," the military added.

Roughly 20 minutes after the alert was first activated, Israel's military said the incident had ended.

The air raid sirens came as Israelis observe the Yom Kippur holiday.

Earlier Friday evening, air raid sirens were activated in dozens of areas across the country's northwest after dozens of projectiles were fired from Lebanon, the military said.

From sundown on Friday until nightfall on Saturday, markets are closed, flights stopped and public transport halted as most Jews fast and pray on the Day of Atonement.

Due to its status as Judaism's holiest day, Yom Kippur is traditionally observed with a complete media silence during the period.

Media outlets, however, have pledged to cover major developments or updates, as Israel fights Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas Palestinians militants in Gaza.