The holiday celebrations continue, with thousands of Israelis spending time outdoors and with their families, but in the Galilee, residents are once again coping with repeated Hezbollah fire, particularly FPV drone and explosive UAV launches.
An alarm sounded in Kiryat Shmona last night, and after several alerts this morning and afternoon in communities across the western Galilee, another siren was activated at 5:07 p.m. in Margaliot, in the Galilee Panhandle near Kiryat Shmona, over fears of a hostile drone infiltration. A minute later, an additional alert warning of rocket and missile fire was activated in Margaliot, possibly due to interceptor launches targeting the drone.
At the same time, a drone infiltration alert also sounded in Misgav Am. Three minutes later, another siren was heard in Margaliot, and 10 minutes after that, another alert was activated in Misgav Am.
It was later determined that FPV drones had detonated near the border, inside Israeli territory. In its official statement, the Israeli military referred to them as “suspicious aerial targets” and said: “Following the alerts activated over the past hour in several areas in northern Israel, the Air Force intercepted two suspicious aerial targets launched from Lebanon toward Israeli territory. In addition, several impacts involving suspicious aerial targets were identified in the area along the border with Lebanon. The details are under review. Alerts were activated in accordance with policy.”
Terrorists approached border, eliminated in airstrike
Two armed terrorists were identified before dawn by IDF surveillance soldiers several hundred meters from the Israeli border in southern Lebanon. The military said the suspects were tracked continuously before being targeted and killed in an airstrike.
The military added that searches in the area “did not uncover additional suspicious findings,” and said it remains in close contact with nearby communities and “will update on any developments.”
Elimination of Hezbollah terrorists at command center
(Video: IDF)
Despite the ceasefire declared between Israel and Hezbollah, amid U.S.-Iran nuclear talks and direct discussions with the Lebanese government, fighting between the Israeli military and terror groups in southern Lebanon has continued.
Sirens again sounded along the northern border throughout the day. At 7:51 a.m., an alert warning of a possible drone infiltration sounded in Rosh Hanikra, followed by another at 8:53 a.m. The military later said contact had been lost with an aerial target before it crossed into Israeli territory in both incidents, and no injuries were reported.
At 2:50 p.m., drone infiltration alerts sounded in Netu’a and Zar’it, followed by another alert at 3:07 p.m. in Shtula. The military later said “several impacts involving suspicious aerial targets were identified in the area along the border with Lebanon. The details are under review.” Another drone infiltration alert sounded at 4:51 p.m. in Misgav Am.
The military also said troops from the 551st Brigade combat team identified five Hezbollah operatives yesterday entering a Hezbollah command center north of the forward defense line in southern Lebanon. Israeli forces directed an Air Force strike on the building, killing the operatives.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s explosive drone attacks along the border have continued, using tactics that caught the Israeli military off guard despite their widespread use for years in the war in Ukraine.
Just two days ago, Col. Meir Biderman, commander of the 401st Armored Brigade, was seriously wounded by an explosive drone in the western sector of southern Lebanon. A reserve lieutenant colonel was moderately wounded in the same incident, while another reservist sustained light injuries.
The military later reported seven additional soldiers wounded in another explosive drone blast, including a combat documentation soldier from the military spokesperson’s unit who was seriously wounded. An officer and two soldiers sustained moderate injuries, while another officer and two additional soldiers were lightly wounded.
First published: 18:15, 05.22.26