A Hezbollah rocket salvo aimed at the Jezreel Valley in northern Israel struck a cowshed in the small farming community of Moshav Beit She'arim early Sunday, killing 15 cows and causing significant damage to agricultural infrastructure.
The attack, which Hezbollah said was intended for the nearby Ramat David Air Base, left the local farmer counting his blessings that no one was hurt.
Massive damage to cowshed in Beit She'arim
(Video: Smadar Cohen)
“At 4 a.m., we were awakened by a massive boom and found our cows in distress,” said Moshe Cohen, 78, a second-generation farmer in Beit She’arim. “The veterinarian is doing everything possible to save the severely injured ones. There’s significant damage to the sheds and water systems, but it’s a miracle no one was hurt.”
The moshav reported that four salvos targeted the Jezreel Valley overnight, with one hitting the cowshed in Beit She’arim. Along with the 15 cows killed, three more were critically injured and are unlikely to survive, Cohen said.
Reflecting on the devastation, Cohen added, “The main thing is that we are alive. I told my wife, ‘Look what’s happening, it’s just a matter of days before it reaches us.’ Then, at 4 a.m., we heard the giant boom, and when I stepped outside, I saw the damage.”
Shuki Shor, another resident, described the proximity of the explosion: “The blast was barely 65 yards from the family home, and everyone was inside. It sounded close, and soon we realized it had landed right in our farmyard.”
Hezbollah claimed the rockets were directed at Ramat David air base, where Defense Minister Yoav Gallant recently declared a “new phase in the war.”