Israeli forces struck several Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon on Saturday in response to rocket and rocket attacks, and also struck terrorists preparing for new attacks on northern Israel.
Fighting has been ongoing on the Lebanese border for several weeks amid fears that a new front could be opened as the IDF continues its war against Hamas terrorists in the southern Gaza Strip.
The IDF said Saturday morning that it had carried out an airstrike overnight against a compound belonging to the Hezbollah terror group in southern Lebanon in response to rocket fire into Israel a day earlier.
The rockets fired Friday afternoon targeted an IDF position in the Golan Heights, but the projectiles landed in Syria.
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On Saturday morning, the IDF said its air defense intercepted a surface-to-air missile fired from Lebanon at an Israeli military drone.
The IDF’s unmanned aerial vehicle was not damaged during the attempt.
Footage from Tiberias in northern Israel showed a plume of smoke from the anti-aircraft missile.
The IDF later said it had carried out airstrikes against the site from which the rocket was fired.
A short time later, the IDF said it had carried out a drone strike against a terrorist cell in southern Lebanon to carry out an anti-tank missile attack on an area near the northern municipality of Hanita.
Also on Saturday, the IDF said that mortar shells and anti-tank missiles had been fired from Lebanon at military positions and Israeli towns on the border, triggering sirens in the Upper Galilee communities of Misgav Am and Margaliot and in Arab al-Aramshe in the western Galilee.
In two other attacks, multiple rockets were fired from Lebanon at areas near the northern communities of Zar’it and Shtula. All projectiles landed in open areas and caused no injuries or damage.
The IDF said it responded with artillery fire at the sources of rocket fire and later carried out an airstrike on a Hezbollah compound.
On Friday, Hezbollah launched anti-tank missiles and opened fire with light weapons at an Israeli military position near Avivim and the Misgav Am area on the northern border.
The IDF said no soldiers were injured in the attacks and that troops responded with artillery fire against sources of fire in southern Lebanon.
Smoke rises from inside an Israeli army position hit by rockets from the Hezbollah terror group, seen from the village of Tair Harfa, a Lebanese border village with Israel, southern Lebanon, October 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
In light of repeated attacks from Lebanon, the military and the Ministry of Defense have evacuated 42 border communities and the town of Kiryat Shmona. Many residents of northern cities had already been evacuated south due to the escalating attacks.
Iran-backed Hezbollah has fired dozens of anti-tank missiles, rockets and mortars at Israeli military positions and Israeli cities since Hamas’ murderous attack on October 7. Gunmen – some with ties to Palestinian terrorist groups – were also sent to northern Israel. Several drones were intercepted over northern Israel.
The IDF has reported attacks on dozens of terrorist cells in southern Lebanon in recent days.
The scale of the attacks has so far been limited as Israel threatened that Lebanon would be harmed if Hezbollah increased its attacks.
Six Israeli soldiers, at least 47 Hezbollah armed fighters and six Palestinian gunmen were killed in the clashes. An Israeli civilian was killed in a Hezbollah attack, and four Lebanese civilians and a journalist were also reportedly killed by Israeli fire.
The attacks from Lebanon come as Israel wages war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the terror group carried out a shock attack on the country on October 7, killing around 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and abducting and deporting over 200 people Gaza Strip were abducted.