On Saturday morning, dozens of warnings about the intrusion of enemy aircraft sounded in numerous communities in northern Israel. Missile alarm sirens also sounded in northern communities.
Shortly afterwards, the Israeli Home Front Command announced that the intrusion of enemy aircraft had ended. No injuries, missile crashes, or enemy aircraft shot down were reported immediately following the incident.
The IDF later said it had detected 40 launches from Lebanese territory on Friday aimed at the Meron area in northern Israel. Meron is about ten kilometers from the Israel-Lebanon border.
The IDF added that it had not detected any further rocket launches or attacks by enemy aircraft in other areas of the country.
IDF attacks terrorist cell involved in launches from Lebanon. January 6, 2024. (Source: IDF)
IDF attacks terrorist cell
In response, the IDF said it had attacked a terrorist cell involved in the shootdowns.
About an hour after the first wave of alarms, numerous other warnings of enemy aircraft intrusion sounded in another part of Israel's north, including in areas such as Kiryat Shmona and the Golan Heights.
Hezbollah said it hit an Israeli observation post with 62 rockets early Saturday in a “preliminary response” to the killing of Hamas's deputy chief last week. Advertising
Senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri was killed in an Israeli drone strike on Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, earlier this week.
Analysts said the attack could be seen as a message to Hamas-allied Hezbollah that even its main stronghold, Dahiyeh, could be under Israeli attack.
Hezbollah had said his killing would not go unpunished. Its leader Sayyed Hassan Nassallah said on Friday that “silence” on the attack would make all of Lebanon more vulnerable to further attacks.
Hezbollah chief vows group will not remain 'silent' following Israel's killing of Hamas deputy chief.
IAF jets attack Lebanon again
The IDF later admitted that rockets had been fired from Lebanon into the Metula and Margaliot areas of northern Israel and that an Israeli Air Force UAV had hit a terrorist cell responsible for the launches.
The Israeli military added that IAF fighter jets also struck a number of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in the areas of Ayta ash Shab, Yaroun and Ramyeh.
Targets struck by the Israeli jets included a launch point, military sites and other terrorist infrastructure, the IDF said.