Israel's military confrontation with the Hezbollah terrorist group escalated dramatically today, as the terrorists unleashed a barrage of rocket fire on the northern Galilee and Golan regions. The Israeli military confirmed 75 projectiles were launched, injuring two people.
Video: The assassination of the Hezbollah operation Hussein Hadr Mahdi
The escalation began early Friday morning when several unmanned aerial vehicles crossed from Lebanon into Israeli airspace around 6. a.m., prompting air raid sirens in the Western Galilee region. At least one of the drones was intercepted over the Mediterranean Sea, while another crashed in the area of Kibbutz Ga'aton area. No damage or injuries were reported in the initial infiltration attempt. Meanwhile, Israel carried out strikes in Sidon against what the IDF said were terrorist facilities. Hezbollah confirmed that a senior operative was killed in that strike, prompting the massive salvo on the north.
Just after 3 p.m., two people suffered light injuries when dozens of rockets struck the Galilee region. Air raid sirens sounded across the Upper Galilee, Kiryat Shmona, and southern Golan Heights areas. The military reported intercepting some of the incoming fire.
Hezbollah's most significant attack targeted an Israeli Air Force detection and observation site near Golani Junction earlier this week. Hezbollah fired an attack drone that managed to penetrate Israel's aerial defenses.
The aerial strike Israel carried out around 2 p.m. near the Lebanese city of Sidon led to the killing of senior Hezbollah official Hussein Hadr Mahdi according to the organization. Saudi media reported Mahdi was a high-ranking Hezbollah member, while Syrian opposition sources claimed he held a senior role in the group's air force unit. Two Syrian nationals were also killed in the strike near the coast.
On Thursday, Hezbollah deployed an attack drone that launched missiles toward the northern town of Metulla, according to Hezbollah's media wing.
In response to the expanded Hezbollah attacks, Israel conducted several targeted strikes against Hezbollah operatives.
The escalation in the north came as Israel continued its military campaign in the Gaza Strip. The IDF announced that its forces completed operations in Gaza's Zeitoun neighborhood after a week of activity that killed over 90 terrorists and struck around 300 terror tunnels, including a military headquarters operating from a school building.
Meanwhile, Israeli aircraft struck some 60 terror targets in Gaza over the past day, including military buildings, militant squads, weapons caches, anti-tank positions, and other infrastructure. One IDF soldier from the 9227 Battalion, 460th Brigade was seriously wounded in clashes in northern Gaza on Friday morning. He was evacuated for medical treatment.
Fighting also raged in the Gaza towns of Jabalia Refugee Camp in the northern Gaza Strip and its southern part, in the city of Rafah. The military said troops from the 98th Division expanded their control in Jabalia, while the 162nd Division battled militants in Rafah, destroying long-range rocket launchers. The 401st Brigade demolished a long-range rocket launch site in eastern Rafah.
Israeli aircraft struck some 60 terror targets in Gaza over the past day, including military buildings, terrorist squads, weapons caches, anti-tank positions, and other infrastructure.
