Mikhail Samara, 27, from Kafr Yasif, who was mortally injured on Tuesday by an intercepting rocket hit on Route 4 near Nahariya, died of his wounds in the Nahariya hospital on Friday. Samara studied chemistry in the Czech Republic and lived there. He arrived in the country to visit his family a few days earlier. In the same Hezbollah drone attack, 14 people were injured, most of whom have already been released from the hospitals.
On Tuesday, at least two unmanned aerial vehicles penetrated Israeli territory, following a series of alarms that were triggered in communities in the Western Galilee, including Nahariya and Acre. One of the unmanned aerial vehicles was intercepted, and the other exploded at an intersection near the town of Mazra’a.
The IDF announced on Wednesday that "an initial inquiry indicates that an interceptor missed the target and hit the ground, injuring several civilians. The incident is under review."
Nasser Samara, Samara's uncle, said on Thursday, "a few weeks ago my nephew returned to Israel to visit his family. Today he was supposed to return, but unfortunately, he was badly injured. That day he apparently went to visit a friend, stopped at a traffic light and then shrapnel hit him in the head. The atmosphere is very sad and we all pray that he will recover and return to the arms of his family, who are in a difficult state of mind. For now, he does not wake up, and we just want to hear his voice."
Another relative added: "Mikhail is a wonderful and stunning person. When he returned to Israel, we talked, laughed, and were happy that he was with us. He told us about his success in school and his achievements. He is a gifted and smart student, he told me that after he finishes studying we will have a big celebration. It's hard to remember those words now and not to cry."
The injured were evacuated to the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya with shrapnel injuries, as well as those who suffered from anxiety and head injuries. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack, and said it had launched a "swarm of drones" in response to an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanon town of Mayfadoun near Nabatieh, some 30 kilometers (19 miles) north of Lebanon's border with Israel, reportedly killing at least five men.
Samara was hospitalized in critical condition in the intensive care unit, with severe shrapnel injuries while he was sedated and ventilated. A 64-year-old woman from Nahariya who fell on her way to a safe zone was slightly injured and was also admitted to the hospital.
The IDF spokesperson stated on Tuesday that "A number of hostile UAVs were identified crossing from Lebanon. One of the UAVs was intercepted. Several civilians were injured to the south of Nahariya during the incident. Rocket and missile sirens were sounded following the possibility of falling shrapnel from the interception. Following the siren that sounded at 12:56 in the area of Acre, it was determined to be a false identification."
Against the backdrop of the Hezbollah attack, the residents of Mazra’a harshly criticized the lack of shelters to protect against the missiles and drones launched from southern Lebanon. "The residents of the village live in great danger, while Nahariya, which is a minute away, enjoys shelters that are sufficient for all residents," they noted.
"The village has a shelter at the school and another one at the community center, but this is only enough for a very small number of people," Mohammad Awad, a resident of Mazra’a, said. "We are facing a danger that threatens our lives and we have no safe places to protect us from the missiles. Today the explosions were very close to us, if it had happened in a residential neighborhood we would have seen victims, injuries and very significant damage."