Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the IDF Northern Command on Thursday and said that Israel has "detailed, important, even surprising plans," while sirens continued to sound in the Upper Galilee, missiles fired from Lebanon, and fires burned in various locations in northern Israel.
Following a series of sirens sounded throughout Thursday evening, the IDF announced that two drones had infiltrated Israeli territory; one was intercepted and the other detonated in the Kiryat Shemona area.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Air Force attacked several Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. Among the targets were Hezbollah military complexes in Ayta ash Shab, Rab El Thalathine and Markaba, as well as a military structure and two observation posts in Odaisseh.
During his visit to the IDF command, Netanyahu received an operational briefing from Northern Command chief Major General Ori Gordin about the extensive offensive and defensive operations held in the sector.
Rockets cause fires in the Galilee
Netanyahu spoke with Gordin and other military officials about the detailed operational plans in the area. A statement from his office, said that he heard about the soldiers’ determination to act as needed in order to return the northern residents to their homes safely.
"We are constantly in action on the northern front. As of now we have eliminated hundreds of Hezbollah terrorists and we are still poised to – even today," Netanyahu said. "I just received a briefing from the head of Northern Command and I also spoke with the division commanders. We have detailed, important, and even surprising plans. But I will not share these plans – which are designed to do two things, 1) to restore security to the north, and 2) to restore the residents safely to their homes – with the enemy. We are determined to achieve both of them together."
Constant siren alerts were also heard in Kiryat Shemona and the Galilee on Thursday. Dozens of missiles were fired from Lebanon, and fires broke out in the area. Even hours after the volley, firefighters were operating at several major fire sites in open areas in Ayelet HaShahar and near Beit Hillel.
Northern residents, who have been suffering from the expansive and dangerous missile attack on the northern border for nearly eight months, sharply criticized the government's actions.
Nisan Ze'evi, a resident of Kibbutz Kfar Giladi in the Galilee, told Ynet about the situation in the north amid ongoing Hezbollah attacks. "We face a great challenge; our communities are asking for answers on so many issues. Meanwhile, we’re trying to keep our businesses – agriculture and quarries. We’re very close to a hostile Hezbollah village, from which most of the anti-tank missiles are being fired," he said.