Tensions have escalated along the Israel-Lebanon border as a series of rocket attacks from Lebanon have sparked fires and prompted Israel to close major roads in the north of the country.
On Sunday, Israel’s northern region was targeted by approximately 160 rockets launched from Lebanon, according to Israeli authorities. Multiple reports of rocket impacts near the city of Safed have been received by police, with the ensuing fires prompting the deployment of 15 fire crews and six helicopters to combat the blaze. While authorities have assured there is no immediate danger to life and have not issued evacuation orders, a section of Israel’s longest highway, Highway 90, has been closed off while police and bomb squads inspect the area for potential threats.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group, has claimed responsibility for a rocket attack targeting Haifa, Israel’s largest northern city. In a statement, the group described the attack as a “rocket salvo” in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes on southern Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold. Hezbollah further claimed to have targeted three Israeli military bases.
In response to these escalating attacks, Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announced an intensification of airstrikes against Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon, near the Israeli border. Gallant asserted that the Israeli military is “not only defeating the enemy, but we are destroying them in all the villages along the border, in the places that Hezbollah planned to use as launchpads for attacks against Israel.”
The situation remains volatile, with the potential for further escalation. The closure of key roads in northern Israel highlights the immediate threat posed by the rocket attacks and the ensuing fires. While authorities are working to control the situation, the latest developments underscore the fragile security dynamics in the region.