Following a dramatic surge in hostilities, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has intensified its campaign against Israel, launching a significant number of rockets into northern Israel and causing considerable damage and civilian injuries. Reports indicate that over 100 rockets rained down on northern Israel, striking homes and infrastructure in what has become one of the most severe escalations in the region since the conflict’s outbreak.
According to Israeli sources, the city of Kiryat Shmona has borne the brunt of these attacks, with residents having evacuated since Hezbollah began its near-daily assaults last October. The impacts of the rocket fire have been far-reaching, with buildings, vehicles, and crucial infrastructure being hit, leading to extensive damage and power outages. Even an ambulance was caught up in the onslaught, and although casualties have been minimized due to evacuations, the few who have remained to recount tales of the ground shaking and the sky blighted with smoke from ongoing damage.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have responded with multiple waves of air and artillery strikes on Hezbollah positions across southern Lebanon and deeper within Lebanese territory. A military compound in the Baalbek area, approximately 62 miles from Israel, and Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force targets have been struck, seemingly in retaliation to the attacks from Lebanon. The IDF also claims to have engaged two rockets from Syrian territory, further complicating the multi-front tension.
Moreover, the IDF has contended with threats from aerial drones, intercepting a drone en route to Israel from Iraq and another explosive-laden drone near the community of Metula. These incidents come as the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attempted drone attacks on Israeli military positions.
The relentless rocket fire and drone attacks have not only caused immediate physical damage but also lasting social and psychological trauma. The mayor of Kiryat Shmona has expressed profound concern for the displaced residents, insisting that they will not return to their city to become targets. Social activists and local residents have echoed these sentiments, with some even questioning the effectiveness of government responses and expressing skepticism about any potential return post-conflict.
Zebbick Zavigi, a local social activist, told Ynet that he went to inspect for damages after the first round of attacks and got caught outside during the second one.
“There was a direct hit to an apartment on the block next to me. I didn’t get to the entrance to the house and the vehicle was already hit by a rocket. It was simply providence, God saved me. There are a lot of falls inside Kiryat Shmona and everywhere you can see the smoke rising from the damage,” he said.
As the international community watches with growing concern, diplomatic efforts by the United States and France to quell the violence on the Lebanese-Israeli border have so far been unable to prevent this dangerous escalation. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has taken a firm stance, asserting that its attacks on Israel are in support of Hamas in Gaza and will not cease until a ceasefire is reached there.
Relevant articles:
– Hezbollah bombards houses of 70,000 Israelis who fled their homes on northern border, allisrael.com, 05/07/2024
– Drone Explodes in Metula; IDF Attacks Hezbollah’s Elite Radwan Force Targets in Response, Haaretz, 05/06/2024
– Two injured in drone attack near Metula; Hezbollah claims to target military position, The Times of Israel, 05/06/2024
– Two seriously wounded in Hezbollah drone attack, IDF strikes Lebanon, The Jerusalem Post, 05/06/2024
– Hezbollah Attacks Israel After Deadly South Lebanon Strike, Barron’s, 05/05/2024