Hezbollah increased its rocket fire on northern Israel on Friday, triggering sirens in Nahariya, Safed and nearby communities, as the Israel Defense Forces said five divisions were operating simultaneously in southern Lebanon in an expanded campaign against the terrorist group.
The IDF said a reservist noncommissioned officer was seriously wounded and another soldier was lightly wounded earlier Friday when an explosive drone struck near forces in southern Lebanon. Both were evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment, and their families were notified.
Interceptions in the skies over Nahariya
(Video: Ze’ev Krauthammer)
In northern Israel, sirens sounded at 4:55 p.m. in Nahariya, Betzet, Hanita, Matzuva, Rosh Hanikra and Shlomi. Some of the rockets in the barrage were intercepted and others fell in open areas. Additional sirens sounded again at 4:59 p.m. in Nahariya, Rosh Hanikra and nearby communities.
At 5:06 p.m., Magen David Adom said teams had been sent to scan an impact site in Nahariya and that there were no immediate reports of casualties. At 5:10 p.m., the Home Front Command said residents could leave protected spaces in the Milouot North industrial zone, Betzet, Gesher Haziv, Hanita, Liman, Matzuva, Nahariya, Saar, Evron, Rosh Hanikra and Shlomi.
Earlier, at 4:13 p.m., Safed municipality said there had been an impact in a parking lot in the southern part of the city. Several vehicles were damaged, but there were no immediate reports of injuries. Sirens had sounded in Safed, the Ramat Dalton industrial zone, Jish, Dalton, Kerem Ben Zimra and additional nearby communities at 4:05 p.m. Some of the launches were intercepted and others fell in open areas.
In Nahariya, footage showed damage to an archaeological site from the Byzantine period. No injuries were reported there.
Against that backdrop, the IDF said five divisions, the 162nd, 36th, 91st, 98th and 146th, were continuing targeted operations across southern Lebanon.
According to the military, since the start of Operation Roaring Lion, Israeli forces operating on the ground, in the air and at sea have killed more than 1,400 Hezbollah terrorists.
The IDF said troops continue to carry out targeted raids, destroy Hezbollah terror infrastructure and locate weapons of various kinds. So far, soldiers from the 162nd and 36th divisions have destroyed more than 2,700 terror infrastructure sites and located more than 250 weapons, including long-range rockets, anti-tank missiles, RPG launchers, firearms and explosive devices.
It said troops from the 91st, 98th and 146th divisions have destroyed more than 1,500 additional terror infrastructure sites and located more than 1,000 weapons, including firearms, RPGs, explosive devices and other military equipment.
The Israeli Air Force continues to support ground forces and strike Hezbollah terrorist targets across southern Lebanon in coordination with troops on the ground, the military said. Over the past day, the air force struck more than 120 terror infrastructure sites to remove threats to Israeli forces.
The latest barrages into northern Israel and the reported drone strike near troops in Lebanon came as the IDF signaled that its ground campaign is still intensifying, with five divisions now operating at once against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.