Hezbollah strikes intensify in Israel, Injuring 19 and sparking cross-border clashes

Shafaq News/ Israeli towns were shaken on Saturday by a series of Hezbollah attacks, including rocket strikes and drone incursions that left 19 people injured and triggered widespread air raid alerts across the region.

In one of the day’s most severe incidents, a rocket fired from Lebanon struck a building in the central Israeli town of Tira, resulting in 19 injuries.

Emergency sirens sounded across central Israel, including in Tel Aviv, as multiple rockets were launched by Hezbollah targeting the area. The Israeli military confirmed that approximately 15 rockets were fired, with some intercepted before reaching their targets.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the assaults, which it dubbed "Khybar Operations." Around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, the group launched rockets at Israel’s Glilot base near Tel Aviv, a significant intelligence hub that houses Unit 8200, Israel’s elite cyber and signals intelligence unit. Hezbollah stated that the strikes were intended as an act of “solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza and as a defense of Lebanon” against Israeli actions.

The attacks extended to northern Israeli settlements, including Sha'al, Dalton, Yesud HaMa'ala, and Bar Yohai. Video footage circulated on social media showed fires erupting northeast of Haifa, a direct consequence of the intense rocket salvos launched from Lebanon.

According to Israel's military radio, between three and four drones were detected crossing into Israeli airspace, resulting in explosions in various locations, including a reported drone detonation at a factory in the Akhziv area of western Galilee.

By midday, Israel's Home Front Command had issued emergency alerts in Haifa Bay, Nahariya, Acre, and nearly 20 towns across the Galilee region, where sirens wailed as drones and rockets penetrated Israeli airspace.

Israeli Army Radio reported that approximately ten rockets were fired toward Haifa Bay and the Galilee, with several intercepted mid-air. Israeli media documented the response, with fighter jets and helicopters taking to the skies over Nahariya, Acre, and Haifa Bay.

On Lebanon’s southern frontier, intense ground confrontations persisted as Israeli forces sought to establish a buffer zone in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah fiercely resisted, employing ambushes, explosive traps, and counter-attacks. In recent days, Israeli forces have made concerted efforts to advance along multiple axes near southern Lebanese villages.

In response to the escalating conflict, Israel has mobilized five military divisions, deploying approximately 70,000 soldiers equipped with a range of military hardware, including hundreds of Merkava tanks and advanced reconnaissance aircraft such as F-16s, F-35s, and F-15s. Despite this military buildup, Israeli troops have struggled to secure a foothold across the Lebanese border, with Hezbollah’s defenses thwarting the establishment of a proposed five-kilometer buffer zone.

In a statement released by Hezbollah, the group claimed that since the onset of these military maneuvers, Israeli losses have reached 95 soldiers killed and approximately 900 wounded.

Hezbollah further reported the destruction of significant Israeli equipment, including 42 Merkava tanks, four military bulldozers, two Hummer vehicles, an armored vehicle, and a troop carrier. Additionally, the group claimed to have downed three Hermes 450 drones and two Hermes 900 drones, a tally that reportedly excludes damages sustained within military sites and Israeli urban areas.