Terrorists in Lebanon fired a heavy barrage of rockets at Israel on Thursday afternoon, injuring three Israelis, amid fears Iran-backed Hezbollah will enter the war.
The IDF confirmed that some 20 rockets were fired from Lebanon at the Galilee, as Israelis in Nahariya and surrounding communities scrambled to shelter.
The Magen David Adom emergency medical service said that it treated three Israelis for blast injuries. They were not hit by shrapnel, MDA added.
Two Israelis, a father and daughter, were hurt when a rocket hit a residential building in Kiryat Shmona, Israel’s Kan public broadcaster reported. The father sustained moderate wounds while the daughter was lightly injured.
“Following the alerts that were activated a short time ago in the north of the country, IDF forces continue to attack the sources of the fire with artillery fire,” said the IDF.
The Lebanese branch of Hamas’s Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility for the attacks and announced it fired 30 rockets at the Jewish state.
Earlier on Thursday afternoon, terrorists fired six rockets at the Western Galilee, setting off air-raid sirens in communities near the border, according to the IDF.
The army said it intercepted one projectile while five more struck open areas.
In addition, terrorists launched anti-tank missiles at Dvoranit, and shots towards a military post in the area of Moshav Zar’it, the military said. No casualties were reported in the incidents.
“IDF forces are now attacking the source of the shooting,” the army said on X (formerly Twitter).
Late Thursday morning, Lebanese terrorists fired two anti-tank guided missiles at Kibbutz Manara, near Kiryat Shmona in the Upper Galilee. In response, the Israeli military shelled the source of the attack.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Meanwhile, the U.S. and British embassies in Beirut advised their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately.
“We recommend that U.S. citizens in Lebanon make appropriate arrangements to leave the country; commercial options currently remain available,” the American embassy said on Thursday.
In a similar warning, the U.K.'s embassy urged Britons to “leave now while commercial options remain available.”
On Wednesday evening, nine rockets were fired from Lebanon at the Kiryat Shmona area, according to the IDF. At least one rocket hit an open area inside the city; the Iron Dome air-defense system intercepted four others.
The rocket attacks caused no injuries or significant damage, the military added.
In a separate incident, the IDF carried out a drone strike against a Lebanese terrorist cell firing mortars at the Tel Turmus area, east of Kiryat Shmona.
In addition, guided anti-tank missiles were fired from Lebanon, targeting the nearby communities of Metula, Kibbutz Malkia and Manara.
The IDF responded by hitting the launch sites with several waves of artillery fire.
Earlier on Wednesday afternoon, enemy missile fire was directed at the area of Dvoranit along the border; the IDF responded with artillery fire.
Around 15 minutes earlier, the IDF reported shots fired towards a military post in the area of Zar’it in the Western Galilee. The military responded with artillery fire.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the afternoon cross-border attacks, saying it fired at three sites with anti-tank guided missiles and gunfire.
Earlier on Wednesday, a Hezbollah missile wounded four Israeli soldiers near the border moshav of Shtula. The IDF responded with artillery fire.
Before the afternoon salvo, Hezbollah had fired at least seven missiles at northern Israeli towns and military posts over the previous 24 hours. Two soldiers and a civilian were wounded on Tuesday morning in a cross-border anti-tank missile attack on Metula—the first of three rounds of missile attacks throughout the day.
The terrorist group has been probing Israel’s northern border in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault on the Jewish state, initiating a series of exchanges of fire as the IDF engages Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
Five Israelis—four soldiers and a civilian—have been killed on the northern front since the Hamas terror rampage in the south that left more than 1,400 people dead and 4,500 wounded, and at least 203 held hostage in Gaza.
