Nahariya and Acre are two of Israel's northernmost cities. For months, these cities had relative calm, especially compared to neighboring communities. Nahariya experienced five consecutive months without sirens, from November to April. In Acre, there were no sirens for four months, from late December until the end of April. However, recent days have brought a stark change in reality.
In Nahariya, a city of 66,000 people, residents rushed to bomb shelters three times on Sunday following a series of sirens at around 3:00 p.m., and again at 7:19 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. In the latest incident, a drone fell in the city, marking the first direct hit in Nahariya since the beginning of the conflict.
Fire breaks out after drone hits Nahariya
(Video: from social media)
The IDF acknowledged that several attempts to intercept the drone were unsuccessful. A fire broke out, though it is unclear if it was caused by drone debris or interceptor fragments. A local resident, near high-rise buildings, was heard sarcastically saying, "There's no war in the north. Now they'll say it fell in an unpopulated area."
Mayor Ronen Marelly announced that the city has returned to normalcy but mentioned that a final decision regarding school operations on Monday would be made at 6:00 a.m.
Interceptor missile fired over Nahariya
(Video: Miki Gafni )
Meanwhile, in Acre, home to 52,000 people, sirens have sounded for the third consecutive day. On Saturday, drone fragments were spotted in the city.
Nahariya and Acre are not the only large communities recently within Hezbollah's range. Katzrin, the largest town in the Golan Heights, was hit by a rocket barrage on Sunday, causing fires in several locations. Like in Nahariya and Acre, residents are not being evacuated, and many buildings in Katzrin also lack reinforced shelters.
Fire breaks out near Katzrin following Hezbollah attack
(Video: Efi Sharir )
Fifteen firefighting teams, supported by six firefighting planes, battled for hours against the fires in Katzrin and managed to bring the blaze under control. Additional fires erupted in Kiryat Shmona, Yiftach, Ani’am, and the areas of Nahal Yehudiya and Nahal Zavitan, some of which are still burning.
Fire and Rescue Services Northern District Commander Assistant Fire Commissioner Yair Elkayam said that the firefighting efforts in several locations are expected to continue through the night.
Fire breaks out in Lebanon's Odaisseh following Israeli strikes
Meanwhile, the IDF reported that fighter jets targeted a Hezbollah military building in Ayta ash Shab and a Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in Tayr Harfa, both in southern Lebanon. Additionally, IDF forces fired to eliminate a threat in Rachaya Al Foukhar, also in southern Lebanon. Numerous fires broke out following the Air Force strikes, including in Ramyeh, Yaroun, Odaisseh and Hula.
Spike in Hezbollah attacks
Data unequivocally shows a rise in Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel. According to the Alma Research and Education Center, May saw the highest number of Hezbollah attacks on Israel, totaling 325. The daily average of attacks was 10, compared to 238 attacks in April, with a daily average of 7.8.
The IDF, however, claims these figures are not recognized and asserts that December had the highest number of launches. The Alma Center explains that their figures account for all types of attacks, excluding the number of rockets per barrage.
May witnessed a significant rise in Hezbollah's use of anti-tank missiles and drones. There were 95 anti-tank missile incidents in May, up from 50 in April, and 85 drone incursions, up from 42 in April. Over the past four months, the number of drone incidents has surged more than twelvefold.