Hezbollah launched explosive drones at an Israeli military command base in Safed. The attack, perceived as retaliation for recent Israeli assassinations in Lebanon, comes amid a series of targeted killings.
Hezbollah’s assault on the Israeli northern military command is a departure from previous tactics. It highlighted an increased willingness to engage significant military installations directly. Israeli army spokespersons claim no damage or casualties from the attack, with footage confirming at least one drone landing inside the base.
Israel and Hezbollah have been locked in a deadly exchange of fire for the past three months, leading to widespread displacement and a rising death toll. The conflict has reached a critical point, with more than 130 Hezbollah fighters killed in Lebanon, marking the most severe confrontation between the two sides since the 2006 war.
The recent killing of Wissam al-Tawil, responsible for directing Hezbollah’s operations in southern Lebanon, represents a significant blow to the group. Tawil was the most senior member of Hezbollah to be killed in the current violence. In the immediate aftermath of his death, Hezbollah circulated pictures of Tawil meeting the group’s secretary-general, emphasising the strategic importance of the fallen commander.
This latest offensive followed two targeted killings by Israel on Hezbollah members earlier in the day. One such attack occurred at the funeral of a senior Radwan Force commander killed the previous day. Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem emphasised that Hezbollah’s resistance will not retreat in the face of such attacks.
Earlier on the same day, an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon killed three Hezbollah members, their identities yet to be confirmed. Hezbollah attributes the attack on Safed to the killings of Wissam al-Tawil and Saleh al-Arouri.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tours the Middle East to prevent conflict escalation.
The Israeli attacks since 7 October have killed at least 23,210 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded over 59,100. Gaza’s Health Ministry warns of a looming triangle of death consisting of hunger, dehydration, and disease.
Video footage captured Israeli forces driving a military vehicle over a Palestinian victim in the occupied West Bank’s Tulkarem.
The health ministry in Gaza reported 12 massacres by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, with 126 Palestinians killed and 241 wounded in the incidents. Rescue efforts are blocked as some victims remain trapped under rubble and on roads.