This attack followed an Israeli airstrike that occurred more than a day earlier, resulting in the deaths of at least 37 people, including a senior Hezbollah leader, as well as women and children.The extent of damage caused by the rockets fired by Hezbollah remains unclear, although one man in a village in the lower Galilee was reported to have suffered minor injuries from shrapnel, as reported by AP.
Local media reported that rockets from Lebanon were intercepted in Haifa and Nazareth. The Israeli military monitored about ten rockets, most of which were intercepted.
Hezbollah announced it used new weapons, the Fadi 1 and Fadi 2 missiles, targeting the Ramat David airbase near Haifa in response to Israeli attacks that killed many civilians. Hezbollah had previously released a video showing surveillance footage of the base.
Israeli strike in Beirut
Lebanon: Hezbollah Military Chief Killed; Big Escalation As Israel F-35 Jet Flattens Beirut Suburb
The exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah intensified on Saturday as rescue teams in Beirut searched through the rubble of an apartment building destroyed by an Israeli strike the previous day.
The airstrike targeted an eight-story building in a densely populated area of Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah members were reportedly meeting in the basement. The strike claimed the lives of Ibrahim Akil, a top Hezbollah official who led the group’s special forces unit, and Ahmed Wahbi, a senior commander in the group’s military wing, according to the Israeli military. The Lebanese health minister, Firass Abiad, reported that at least seven women and three children were among those killed, with another 68 people injured, including 15 hospitalized. The death toll from the strike, the deadliest since the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, could rise further, as 23 people remain missing.
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated the strike disrupted Hezbollah’s command chain and killed Akil, who was responsible for Israeli deaths and had been wanted by the US for years. “This is our commitment to the fallen and their loved ones,” he posted on X.
Attack by pager and walkie-talkies in Lebanon
Prior to exchange of fire this weekend, Hezbollah had vowed to retaliate against Israel for a series of explosions that targeted the group’s pagers and walkie-talkies on Tuesday and Wednesday, resulting in at least 37 deaths, including two children, and injuring around 3,000 people. Although Israel has not confirmed or denied responsibility, the attacks were widely attributed to them.
The Israeli government set new gathering size limits and other restrictions in anticipation of increased Hezbollah attacks. Israel and Hezbollah engaged in further strikes on Saturday, with about 90 rockets fired at northern Israel and over 400 rocket launchers in Lebanon struck, according to the Israeli military.
IDP spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari announced updated safety guidelines for northern Israel, which included caps on gatherings and canceled classes in border regions.
Earlier this week, Israel reported stopping Hezbollah’s attacks to facilitate the return of displaced residents as a war goal.
Hezbollah has indicated it will cease strikes only with a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Since the escalation starting October 7, Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire, primarily affecting less-populated areas.
Friday’s Israeli strike occurred after Hezbollah’s intense bombardment of northern Israel, targeting military sites. The bombardment followed explosions of Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies that killed at least 37 people and wounded around 3,000. Lebanese hospitals are currently filled with the wounded.