Hezbollah rockets target Western Galilee
Hezbollah on Wednesday claimed responsibility for launching a swarm of drones at Israel's northernmost town of Metula in retaliation for an Israeli strike north of Lebanon's Tyre the day before. Metula Mayor David Azulay reported that three drones exploded inside the town, damaging cars but causing no injuries.
The Iran-backed terrorist group also fired rockets at the Western Galilee, prompting IDF artillery to strike Hezbollah targets across the border, according to Lebanese media reports. At least three people were killed in an overnight IDF attack on the southern Lebanon town of Yaroun, local sources said, though these reports remain unconfirmed. The Israeli military reported that it targeted a Hezbollah weapons depot in Yaroun and other terror infrastructure in the area.
The renewal of cross-border hostilities began on Tuesday following a 60-hour lull during the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival. The escalation coincides with the visit of White House special Mideast envoy Amos Hochstein, who is attempting to mediate and prevent an all-out regional war. Hochstein returned to Israel late Tuesday after meetings in Beirut and conferred with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"The situation on the border between Israel and Lebanon is dangerous. Civilians are being harmed, and their property is being damaged. Calm at the border would allow residents to return to southern Lebanon and northern Israel," Hochstein said on Tuesday after meeting with Lebanon's Shiite Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri.
A Pentagon spokesperson emphasized that the United States seeks to avoid a broader conflict in the Middle East. "I'm not going to get into hypotheticals and speculate on what might happen other than to say no one wants to see a wider regional war," said Major General Patrick Ryder.
The IDF said on Tuesday that it had approved operational plans to attack Lebanon if directed by the political leadership. Maj. Gen Uri Gordin, head of the military's Northern Command, said that forces were accelerating their preparedness.
"As part of the situational assessment, operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated, and decisions were taken on the continuation of increasing the readiness of troops in the field," the IDF said.
On Tuesday, Hezbollah released a nine-minute video from one of its drones, showing potential strategic targets in Haifa, including the port, the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems campus with Iron Dome missile defense batteries, rocket engine depots, David's Sling aerial defense facilities and radar installations.
Images of Haifa taken by a Hezbollah drone
Sources told Ynet that the drone was under surveillance throughout its flight in Israeli airspace and was not shot down because it was unarmed. Intercepting it could have caused panic and potential injuries.
They added that Hezbollah launched three drones in total: one was intercepted, another disappeared from radar and is believed to have crashed into the sea and the third completed its reconnaissance mission.