Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, fired a volley of rockets at the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona early Sunday. This action came as a direct response to an Israeli airstrike that killed three Lebanese civil defense personnel in the village of Froun in southern Lebanon. The incident marks another escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, who have been engaged in near-daily cross-border exchanges since Hamas launched its attack on Israel on October 7th.
Hezbollah typically claims its attacks target Israeli military positions. However, the group specifically blamed the Israeli attack that killed the emergency workers for its latest rocket barrage. Israel, on the other hand, maintains that its actions are directed at Hezbollah infrastructure and fighters in Lebanon.
The Lebanese health ministry condemned the Israeli airstrike, calling it a “blatant attack” that targeted “an official body of the Lebanese state.” The ministry also highlighted the strike as the second incident in less than 12 hours involving the targeting of emergency personnel. Earlier that day, two emergency responders from the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee were injured when their vehicle was hit near a fire they were attempting to extinguish in south Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Israel reported intercepting “projectiles” launched from Lebanon and claimed to have struck Hezbollah military infrastructure and a launcher in response. The Israeli military also reported identifying several drones crossing from Lebanese territory.
The cross-border violence has resulted in the deaths of approximately 614 people in Lebanon, including 138 civilians. In Israel, including the Golan Heights, authorities have reported at least 24 soldiers and 26 civilians killed.
The Lebanese health ministry has documented the deaths of 27 emergency personnel and health workers, along with 94 injured, since the start of the conflict. They also reported the damage or destruction of two hospitals, 21 health centers, and 32 fire or ambulance vehicles, prompting calls for an end to the “repeated and deliberate targeting of health workers and civilians.”
