View of a fire that started from missiles and drones launched from Lebanon near the Israeli border with Lebanon, June 23, 2024. (Photo: Ayal Margolin/Flash90)
The Lebanese terror group Hezbollah held northern Israel under almost constant rocket fire over the weekend, launching at least 110 rockets and several drones and anti-tank missiles toward the Galilee region on Friday and Saturday.
Continuing the current escalation, which began when a Hezbollah drone killed an IDF soldier and wounded several more last week, the terror group sharply raised the volume and frequency of its attacks over the past days and claimed responsibility for 15 attacks on Friday.
Instead of firing a few large-scale rocket barrages at targets as it usually does, the terror group this weekend launched smaller volleys every couple of hours at targets across the breadth of Israel’s Galilee region, possibly signaling a shift in tactics.
While the attacks caused no casualties, with most rockets being either intercepted or falling in open areas, several houses in the northern city of Kiryat Shmona were directly hit and suffered serious damage. Several rockets also caused wildfires upon impact.
Yesterday Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets from Lebanon at northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona. Some of them were intercepted, many were not. There were no casualties. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for at least 15 incidents during the day, including direct shelling of… pic.twitter.com/qCh39j0N0C
— Mike (@Doranimated) August 24, 2024
On Friday, the attacks began with two to three anti-tank missiles that hit an Israeli military post on Mount Meron, followed by six rockets fired at the town of Malkiah.
Another eight rockets targeted the area of Malkiah, and several projectiles were fired at Yiftah.
As Israelis welcomed the Sabbath on Friday evening, some 20 rockets were launched toward the city of Safed and the Meron region. Another 20 rockets then targeted Kiryat Shmona and Neot Mordechai, and an additional five rockets were launched at Zar’it.
Sometime later, alarm sirens again blared in Kiryat Shmona as another 15 rockets threatened the city.
Another volley of some 10 rockets fired at the city closed out the day, which ended with 15 attacks claimed by Hezbollah, one of the highest numbers in the war, so far. Overall, the IDF estimates around 110 rockets in total were fired at Israel.
כלי טיס של חיל האוויר תקף במרחב צור, וחיסל את המחבל סעיד מחמוד דעיב, מחבל במערך הרקטות והטילים של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה.
בנוסף, מטוסי קרב תקפו במרחב א-טירי את המשגר ממנו שוגרו מוקדם יותר היום רקטות למרחב צפת>> pic.twitter.com/3luUJpppjm
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 23, 2024
The IDF responded with fierce bombardments of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon throughout Friday, eliminating at least 10 Hezbollah operatives and destroying numerous military buildings.
Saturday saw a slight decrease in fire, with Hezbollah claiming 11 attacks, including about five rockets fired at Kiryat Shmona, several rockets launched at an IDF base near Shtula, a drone interception near Shlomi, and two projectiles (most likely drones) shot down over the Golan Heights.
לוחמי ההגנה האווירית יירטו בהצלחה לפני זמן קצר מטרה אווירית חשודה שחצתה משטח לבנון למרחב הגליל המערבי, אין נפגעים.
הופעלו התרעות במרחב על פי מדיניות pic.twitter.com/aZuhCKzHQL— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 24, 2024
On Saturday evening, the IDF resumed strikes across southern Lebanon. According to Army Radio, the last several days were among the IDF’s most successful in terms of eliminating Hezbollah terrorists and eroding its weapons depots.
More than 25 terrorists were killed, including field commanders, and about 100 Hezbollah targets were struck, most of them being military depots, including two waves of heavy strikes in the Bekaa Valley.
Breaking | Explosions have been reported at Hama Military Airport and in areas across the countryside of Homs and Hama in central #Syria pic.twitter.com/DBPnRiUxEw
— Daniella Modos – Cutter -SEN (@DmodosCutter) August 23, 2024
In addition, Syrian media claimed that Israel attacked Hezbollah and Iran-linked targets in central Syria on Friday evening.
“At approximately 7:35 p.m. the Israeli enemy launched an air aggression from the direction of northern Lebanon, targeting a number of sites in the central region,” the Syrian defense ministry stated, claiming that seven civilians were wounded in the strikes.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) war monitoring organization said Israeli strikes targeted positions of the regime’s army and its ally Hezbollah, killing three of its operatives.
“Israeli strikes have so far killed three pro-Iranian fighters and wounded about 10 others.”
SOHR also reported that Israel struck “makeshift petrol stations linked to Hezbollah in the Homs countryside and struck weapons depots belonging to the group as well as two Syrian army sites in the Hama countryside.”
