On Monday, Hezbollah launched rockets targeting Haifa, Israel’s third-largest city, marking the first direct attack on the northern city in recent times. This strike bypassed Israel’s air defense systems, which are typically effective at intercepting such threats.
Hezbollah confirmed that it aimed at a military base south of Haifa using a series of “Fadi 1” missiles. Two rockets hit Haifa, located 27 miles from the Lebanese border, while five others struck the nearby city of Tiberias, approximately 40 miles away. The attacks left 10 people wounded across both cities.
Haifa’s mayor, Yona Yahav, described the incident as the first significant hit on the city. Israeli media reported damage to several buildings and properties, with minor injuries and some residents requiring hospital care.
Hezbollah Launches Direct Rocket Attacks on Haifa, Prompting Israeli Airstrikes in Escalating Conflict
While security footage captured the exact moment the rocket struck Haifa, the full extent of the damage was still being assessed. Israeli authorities confirmed that five rockets were launched at Haifa, but some were intercepted by the country’s air defense systems. Other rockets aimed at Tiberias were also intercepted, though some of them managed to cause damage.
The situation prompted a swift Israeli military response. Fighter jets carried out airstrikes targeting Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters in Beirut, hitting command centers, infrastructure, and weapon storage sites.
Secondary explosions, signaling the presence of weaponry, were detected after these strikes, confirming the presence of Hezbollah assets in civilian areas. Israel’s military highlighted that Hezbollah had deliberately placed its command centers and weapon storage beneath residential buildings in Beirut, putting the civilian population at risk.
Along with the strikes in Beirut, Israel also targeted Hezbollah installations in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley. These airstrikes were aimed at weapons storage facilities, infrastructure, command centers, and rocket launchers. Israel’s military emphasized that Hezbollah’s actions were a deliberate attempt to endanger civilians by embedding their military assets within densely populated urban areas.
The escalation of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah comes amid a period of heightened tensions in the region. The Israeli military’s retaliatory airstrikes were part of an ongoing effort to dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure and prevent further rocket attacks. Both sides continue to escalate their military operations, with the potential for further casualties and property damage in the coming days.
