First sirens sounded in Safed since the ceasefire was declared more than a month and a half ago, and seconds after an unusual IDF announcement that it was preparing for fire from Lebanon.
After more than 10 rockets were fired from Lebanon overnight, one of them toward the Mount Meron area for the first time and another hitting a shopping center in Kiryat Shmona, sirens sounded at around 4:20 p.m. in Safed and nearby communities. Half an hour later, rocket sirens were also activated in Nahariya for the first time in three weeks.
Destruction of Hezbollah command center
(Video: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit )
Seconds before the sirens in Safed, for the first time since April 11, the IDF said that “following the expansion of IDF operations in southern Lebanon and in accordance with the situational assessment, the IDF is preparing for the possibility of fire from Lebanese territory, with an emphasis on northern Israel. The IDF stresses that at this stage the public should remain alert, act responsibly and follow Home Front Command instructions. As of now, there is no change to Home Front Command guidelines. If changes are made, the public will be updated accordingly.”
The IDF said shortly after the sirens that one rocket fired from Lebanon was intercepted, while another exploded in an open area.
An hour earlier, sirens sounded nonstop across the Western Galilee for 10 consecutive minutes over concerns of a drone infiltration. Before that, a rocket and a drone were intercepted, while another drone exploded in Shomera, inside a military zone.
The intensified fire, reaching longer ranges, came a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that IDF forces were also operating beyond the Litani River. During a visit to the northern border, Netanyahu said: “Our forces crossed the Litani, they moved up to commanding areas. We are operating in Beirut, in the Bekaa, across the entire front and striking Hezbollah hard.”
Despite Netanyahu’s remarks, Israel has generally refrained from striking Beirut, doing so this week after about three weeks without attacks in the Lebanese capital. Before that, Beirut had not been struck for about a month. In both cases, the targets were specific and the strikes were not aimed at Hezbollah infrastructure.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said during the same visit: “Hezbollah is weakened and battered in every clash with our forces south and north of the Litani. We pray for the safety of our heroic soldiers and look forward to good news and achievements.”
Amid the continued fighting with Hezbollah, the IDF said Saturday evening that it had struck an artillery command center belonging to the terrorist organization in the Ashmali area of southern Lebanon a day earlier. “After the strike, secondary explosions were identified, indicating the presence of weapons inside the building,” the IDF said, adding that the command center was struck after Hezbollah terrorists were identified nearby.