Tel Aviv - Hezbollah fired multiple rockets and drones at Israel on Saturday afternoon and evening, as the Israeli military said it was preparing for an increase in attacks by the group due to the army's expanded operations in southern Lebanon. Sirens sounded repeatedly in northern communities as a result of the attacks, sending people rushing to shelters. Rockets were launched at Safed, Kiryat Shmona and Karmiel, as the upper and western Galilee were targeted. Multiple rockets were intercepted, while others struck open areas, according to the military. A video from the northern coastal city of Nahariya showed rockets impacting nearby in the Mediterranean Sea, as frightened beachgoers scrambled for cover.
Hezbollah's Drone Attacks
Meanwhile, Hezbollah also launched several drones, with one striking a military zone near the border community of Shomera, while two others were intercepted, the military said. The continued attacks on Saturday came after local residents described a long night with repeated siren warnings and explosions and expressed frustration with the government for failing to end the threat from the Iran-backed Lebanese group.
IDF Preparedness
The IDF said on Saturday it was prepared for the possibility of increased Hezbollah rocket fire on northern Israel as troops push deeper into southern Lebanon, but that at this stage, there were no changes to the Home Front Command's guidelines for civilians. “Following the expansion of IDF operations in southern Lebanon, and in accordance with the situational assessment, the IDF is preparing for the possibility of fire from Lebanese territory, focused on the northern region,” the military said in a statement.
Netanyahu Confirms Crossing of Litani River
Netanyahu confirmed Friday that troops of the IDF's 36th Division had crossed Lebanon's Litani River, beyond the military's defensive line, amid Hezbollah's ongoing attacks. The defense line, which the IDF announced last month, demarcates the military's declared security zone in southern Lebanon. The line lies mostly south of the Litani, which runs about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border and has long been Israel's benchmark in the bid to push Hezbollah northward.
Strikes on Hezbollah Positions
Separately, the IDF said Saturday it struck a manned Hezbollah artillery command center in southern Lebanon a day earlier. Following Friday's strike in the Burj al-Shamali area, “secondary explosions were identified, indicating the presence of weapons inside the structure,” the military said. The IDF said it struck the site after identifying Hezbollah operatives in the area.
Intensifying Clashes Despite Ceasefire
The Israeli military has said it is preparing for attacks from Lebanon toward northern Israel as its troops advance further into southern Lebanon in operations against Hezbollah. Despite the US-mediated ceasefire agreed by the governments of Israel and Lebanon in April, clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces have intensified. The Israel Defense Forces urged people in northern Israel to remain vigilant on Saturday after saying it had recorded 20 launches from Lebanon since midnight. Some projectiles were intercepted and others fell in open land; no injuries were reported.
Hezbollah Claims Attacks
Hezbollah said on Saturday it had fired rockets at the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona “in defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the Israeli enemy's violation of the ceasefire.” Altogether, Hezbollah claimed 14 attacks Saturday: 12 in southern Lebanon and two inside Israel.
Evacuation Warnings
The IDF re-issued evacuation warnings on Saturday to residents of 13 villages, ordering people to move north of the Zahrani river, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the border. The intensifying combat between Israel and Hezbollah may put at risk any agreement between the United States and Iran, which is insisting that it include a ceasefire in Lebanon. US President Donald Trump told Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week that he supported its “freedom of action against threats on all fronts, including Lebanon,” an Israeli official told CNN. Netanyahu said Friday that Israeli forces had crossed Lebanon's Litani River, which runs around 30 kilometers (about 19 miles) north of the countries' border.
