An artillery unit approaches Israel’s northern border with Lebanon on November 8, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Amir Levy | Getty Images
Hezbollah said it fired rockets and armed drones at nine Israeli military bases in a coordinated attack on Thursday, intensifying hostilities on Lebanon’s southern border for a second day.
The attacks were in retaliation for an Israeli attack on Tuesday that killed a senior Hezbollah field commander. A security source told Lebanon it was Hezbollah’s biggest attack since October, when the group began fighting Israel during the Gaza war.
Hezbollah said in a statement that it fired Katyusha and Farak rockets at six Israeli military locations. More than 100 rockets were launched simultaneously, Al-Manar TV reported.
Hezbollah also launched attack drones at Israel’s Northern Command headquarters, intelligence headquarters and military camps, the statement said.
A security source told Reuters the attack involved the simultaneous launch of at least 30 attack drones, making it the largest drone strike so far in the eight-month war.
Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged fire almost daily since the Gaza war broke out in October, but the fighting has escalated sharply in the past two days after an Israeli attack killed a Hezbollah commander.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah said it launched at least eight attacks that day in retaliation.
Air raid sirens were sounded in northern Israeli cities on Thursday, and Israeli officials said about 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon in the afternoon.
State broadcaster Kan showed footage of multiple rocket interceptions over Israeli towns, including Safed, about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the border.
Israel’s national ambulance service said two people suffered shrapnel injuries.
According to Reuters statistics, Israeli air strikes have killed more than 300 Lebanese Hezbollah militants, more losses than the last time a large-scale war broke out between the two sides in 2006. Statistics show that about 80 civilians were killed.
Israel said the attack from Lebanon had killed 18 Israeli soldiers and 10 civilians.
The fighting also displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border.
Israeli government spokesman David Mensell said: “Peace will be restored in our north, both from a diplomatic and military perspective. Israel will defend itself. There should be no doubt about this. This (situation) cannot be an ongoing reality .
Leaders of the Group of Seven nations meeting in Italy said in a draft communiqué that they were very concerned about the situation on the border between Israel and Lebanon.
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