Escalation on the southern front continued throughout the day on Thursday despite diplomatic efforts to call for restraint in South Lebanon, notably by US envoy Amos Hochstein, who was on a short visit to Lebanon.
In response to Israel’s earlier strike on the volunteer Civil Defense Center in Hanine, which resulted in the death of two rescue workers, Hezbollah announced that it “targeted the Kiryat Shmona settlement with tens of rockets.”
Israeli military radio reported that “more than 30 rockets were launched from Lebanon towards Kiryat Shmona, and around 20 of them landed in different areas of the settlement.”
“Numerous explosions and alarm sirens were heard in the settlement, and the missile attack caused a power failure in large areas of Kiryat Shmona,” Israeli media reported.
Additionally, Hezbollah targeted multiple Israeli army positions, including the Metula site, Tallet Tayhat, Mount Nather, the Birkat Risha site and the al-Ramtha site in the occupied Shebaa Farms. In addition, it targeted “Cobra Hill’s spy equipment with appropriate weapons, which led to injuries and the destruction of the equipment.”
Israeli media reported that 10 explosions were heard in the Upper Galilee.
Israel carried out four airstrikes on the town of Khiam and one on the outskirts of Yarine. The airstrike on a building in Khiam and Wadi al-Asafir did not result in any reported injuries.
Artillery shelling and bombardment were reported in the areas of Aita al-Shaab and Wadi al-Dalafa.
In the evening, an Israeli warplane targeted the center of the Islamic Mission Scouts Association’s Civil Defense – Martyrs of Khiam Unit. However, the missile did not explode, and the center members miraculously survived. The Israeli army also conducted a sweeping operation of the town of Kfar Kila, using automatic weapons, from Metula.
Israeli aircraft also flew over Beirut and Saida at low altitude late Thursday.
