On Sunday, Israelis woke up to the sound of air raid sirens blaring across the northern regions of the country, as Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets from southern Lebanon.
The attacks caused widespread damage and ignited fires in open areas, but thanks to Israel’s advanced defense systems, no serious injuries were reported.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) responded swiftly and forcefully, targeting Hezbollah positions in a series of airstrikes aimed at degrading the militant group’s operational capabilities.
The conflict escalated after the Israel Air Force (IAF) carried out waves of airstrikes on Saturday, hitting 400 Hezbollah targets, including rocket launchers that were reportedly poised to fire.
The IDF announced that, since the onset of the hostilities, it had struck approximately 290 targets, including rocket launcher barrels and other terrorist infrastructure across multiple areas in southern Lebanon.
The strikes, coordinated with IDF Intelligence, aimed to prevent further rocket attacks and limit Hezbollah’s ability to sustain its assault on northern Israel.
By early Sunday morning, the IDF reported additional waves of strikes, bringing the total to approximately 110 new Hezbollah targets hit within a few hours. These included launchers and key terrorist sites in southern Lebanon.
The IDF emphasized its commitment to continue dismantling Hezbollah’s military capabilities, reiterating that it would act to protect Israeli civilians and prevent the group from launching future attacks.
As rockets rained down on northern Israeli communities, including Kiryat Bialik, Tsur Shalom, and Moreshet, fire and rescue services were deployed to extinguish the flames that erupted in the wake of the attacks.
According to IDF reports, approximately 85 projectiles were fired into Israeli territory during the early morning hours, with most being intercepted by Israel’s missile defense systems. The remainder fell in open areas, minimizing the risk to life and property.
Further rocket fire was detected in the Jezreel Valley region, where roughly 20 additional projectiles crossed into Israeli airspace.
Fortunately, the majority were intercepted, and the rest landed in uninhabited areas, sparing the region from casualties. Despite Hezbollah’s attempts to target Israeli air bases, their rockets primarily struck civilian areas and open land.
In response to the escalating violence, schools in Haifa and other northern communities were closed as a precautionary measure.
The situation remained tense, with residents bracing for further attacks as Israel’s military bolstered its defenses along the northern front.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces intercepted additional missile fire originating from Iraq, believed to have been launched by Iranian-backed militias.
The multi-front assault raised concerns that the conflict could expand, as Hezbollah has been firing at northern Israel for months, following its initial unprovoked attack in October.
In light of these developments, Israeli media speculated about the potential onset of a broader conflict, with some questioning whether the situation could evolve into a full-scale war with Hezbollah.
Despite U.S. President Joe Biden’s earlier warning to Hezbollah and Iran not to engage in further aggression against Israel, the threat of a “second front” seems to have materialized. For now, Israel stands alone in its fight, as tensions continue to rise in the region.
The coming days will likely be crucial in determining whether this escalation will spiral into what some are already calling the “Third Lebanon War,” or if diplomatic efforts can still de-escalate the situation before it reaches a tipping point.
