A major escalation was witnessed on the Lebanese front on Thursday as Hezbollah responded to the assassination of one of its leaders and continued its bombing operations in support of the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza.
Hundreds of missiles and drones were launched from Lebanon, targeting over 100 sites in the Upper, Lower, and Western Galilee, the Golan Heights, and the coastal areas of Nahariya and Acre, according to Al-Jazeera.
Consequently, dozens of fires reportedly broke out in various locations in the Galilee and the Golan Heights.
An Israeli soldier was reportedly killed and others were wounded as a result of a missile attack from Lebanon that targeted their vehicle.
Additionally, sirens were heard again in all the towns of the Hula Valley and the settlements of the occupied Golan Heights following the shelling from Lebanon, the report added.
200 Missiles
A Hezbollah source informed Al-Jazeera that the group fired more than 200 missiles of various types at Israeli sites in the Galilee and the Golan.
The source added that over 20 drones were used to attack multiple Israeli sites in the Galilee, describing these new attacks as a continuation of their response to the assassination of military commander Muhammad Ni’mah Nasser, leader of Hezbollah’s ‘Aziz’ unit.
The source further detailed that the missile strikes targeted the newly established headquarters of the 91st Division in the Israeli Eilat barracks, the headquarters of the Seventh Armored Brigade in the Katsafia barracks, the Gamla and Yarden barracks, and the Israeli Nafah base.
Additionally, drones attacked the Northern Region Intelligence Center in the Israeli Mishar base, the Ilyana base of the 143rd Division, located 35 km from the southern Lebanese border, and the Shraga barracks, home to the Golani Brigade and the Egoz unit.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack involving rockets and drones on multiple Israeli military sites.
Several fires broke out in the occupied Syrian Golan as well as Al-Jalil, in northern Israel. pic.twitter.com/CDJL8Ojk0l
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) July 4, 2024
Injuries among Soldiers
On the Israeli side, media reports confirmed serious injuries among soldiers after a military vehicle was hit by shelling from Lebanon.
Israeli Channel 13 reported that hundreds of rockets and drones were fired within the last hour.
Israeli Army Radio confirmed that two buildings in Acre and the Rajaba area north of Acre were directly hit, while Channel 12 Israel noted that the direct hit in Acre was due to falling fragments of interceptor missiles.
Israeli media broadcast scenes showing columns of thick smoke rising in the occupied Golan Heights following the missile and drone launches from Lebanon into northern Israel.
They also confirmed the outbreak of several fires in open areas in the Golan and Galilee as a result of the attacks.
BREAKING: Hezbollah claims responsibility for a dual attack involving rocket rockets and drones on multiple Israeli military sites including bases in Avivim, Katsafya, and Gamlah.
Over 200 rockets of various types were reportedly launched. pic.twitter.com/ZJ0an4PCrj
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) July 4, 2024
Hezbollah’s Response
Hezbollah announced on Wednesday it had bombed the Golan Division headquarters in the Nafah barracks, the air and missile defense headquarters, and the ground forces battalion in the Kela barracks with more than 100 Katyusha rockets, targeting the Zar’it and Kiryat Shmona barracks in response to the assassination of its military commander.
For its part, the Israeli army stated that it had attacked Hezbollah targets in the Sheheen, Balat, and Shebaa areas of southern Lebanon on Wednesday/Thursday night.
The statement mentioned that warplanes raided Hezbollah targets throughout the night, attacking a military building in Sheheen and three hostile buildings in Balat, and also conducted strikes to remove threats in the Shebaa area.
The past hours have seen a noticeable escalation on both sides of the Israeli-Lebanese border following Israel’s assassination of a Hezbollah leader.
#WATCH : Hezbollah claims responsibility for firing over 200 rockets and 20 UAVs into Israel
There are casualties in the north and fires broke out in the Golan Heights due to the strikes.
Shrapnel also landed on the roof of a mall in Acre causing a small fire.#Hezbollah… pic.twitter.com/VjVMtbYyjU
— upuknews (@upuknews1) July 4, 2024
Heightened Tensions
Since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, on October 7, the Lebanese movement Hezbollah has engaged directly, but relatively in a limited way in the war against the Israeli occupation.
According to Hezbollah sources, the movement has carried out 1,194 military operations in the first 250 days of war, killing and wounding over 2,000 Israeli soldiers.
Israel has occupied parts of Lebanon for decades and has only left the country in 2000, following stiff Lebanese resistance under Hezbollah’s leadership.
It attempted to re-occupy Lebanon in 2006 but failed in what Lebanon considers a major victory against Israel.
Israel, however, continues to occupy parts of Lebanon, namely the Sheeba Farms region.
Hezbollah has vowed to recover every inch of Lebanon that has been occupied by Israel contrary to international law.
(PC, AJA)
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