An Israeli civilian was killed on Tuesday after an anti-tank missile struck Kibbutz Adamit, an Israeli community located in the western Galilee. Several launches against the kibbutz were recorded earlier on Tuesday, as a result of which five IDF soldiers were injured and evacuated to the hospital with one in moderate condition and the rest with minor injuries.
The Israeli national isn’t a resident of the kibbutz but arrived to visit their friend living in the area. Initial reports suggest the national attempted to help IDF forces in the area, when a Hezbollah missile hit the kibbutz, leading to his death. Since the start of the war in Gaza, 24 soldiers and nationals on the northern border have died.
IDF aircraft and helicopters were dispatched to the area, and heavy clashes were reported in the region. The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit later reported that following the missile fire, "fighter jets targeted Hezbollah military facilities in the Ayta ash Shab and Kfar Kila areas in southern Lebanon."
Rocket sirens sounded in various Israeli communities in the northern communities close to the border throughout Tuesday, after missiles were launched into Israeli territory. Hezbollah's missile fire toward the Galilee also managed to hit an IDF observation balloon, which fell into Lebanese territory. Later in the afternoon, 10 missiles were fired into the Golan Heights area from Lebanese soil.
IDF strikes in southern Lebanon also continued on Tuesday. The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit confirmed that Israeli Air Force fighter jets attacked and eliminated a Hezbollah operative who was located near a military position belonging to the terror organization in the Meiss Ej Jabal located in southern Lebanon. According to the Lebanese terror organization, 298 of its members have been killed since the beginning of the war in Gaza, but Israel estimates the true number to be much higher.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for firing toward the western Galilee on Tuesday and said it succeeded in shooting down an IDF observation balloon in the region. The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit later confirmed that the balloon crashed.
"As a result of the missile fire carried out in the western Galilee, an IDF observation balloon was damaged and fell into Lebanese territory. No information was leaked in the incident," the statement read. The Israeli Air Force attempted to shoot down and destroy the balloon before it crossed the border.
Hezbollah claimed the missile barrage was carried against Kibbutz Adamit, and as a result of the attack, the balloon detached and its control mechanism "was completely destroyed."
First published: 21:13, 05.14.24