Hezbollah escalated attacks over the weekend, including firing a Burkan rocket at Israel on Saturday, which caused significant destruction to military buildings and infrastructure in the North, Israeli media reported.
A Burkan rocket carries hundreds of kilograms of explosive material and a combat warhead capable of operating at a radius of 1.5-5 kilometers, Walla noted.
Shortly after rocket sirens blared in Kiryat Shmona on Saturday morning, Israeli media shared footage of damage purportedly caused by the impact of the rocket.
Later, the IDF confirmed that two projectiles had been identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory towards the area.
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The military noted that there were no injuries as a result of the projectiles’ crossing into Israel.
Later, Walla reported that Hezbollah took responsibility for the attack. The Lebanon-based terror organization reportedly claimed to have targeted the Givor camp in Kiryat Shmona.
The IDF also confirmed that a surface-to-air missile was fired toward an IAF unmanned aerial vehicle operating in Lebanese airspace. The UAV was hit and fell in Lebanese territory. It is being examined by the military.
Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for the missile, which the IDF has not confirmed.
UAV downed by surface-to-air missile
In a statement, Hezbollah said it downed a Hermes 900 drone in solidarity with Gaza.
Video circulated online appeared to show an aircraft the size of a Hermes aflame and going earthward.
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The Hezbollah escalation comes as Hamas has vowed a war of “attrition” in Gaza. It appears that Hezbollah is seeking to increase its attacks at the same time as Hamas is also increasing its attacks on the IDF in the Strip. This is apparently part of a full-court press to show Israel that Iran’s “axis of resistance” is succeeding after almost eight months of war.
The IDF said that earlier in the day, it had identified two Hezbollah terrorists operating in the area of Majdal Selm.
In footage shared by the army, an Israeli military aircraft subsequently struck the two operatives.
The Hezbollah attacks began on Friday morning with sirens in Metulla. Later, Hezbollah also launched drone attacks targeting areas near the Israel-Lebanon border town. Sirens also sounded in Acre in the afternoon.
“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in the area of the city of Acre, one UAV that crossed into Israeli territory from Lebanon was successfully intercepted by the IDF Aerial Defense Array,” the IDF said. “Alerts were activated in the area due to the danger of falling fragments from the interceptor.”
Hezbollah later targeted the area of Kalil in the northern Galilee and the area of Moshav Al-Kosh, also near the border.
Reuters contributed to this report.