Gallant: Attacks to increase until security restored in north

Israeli moderately hurt by shrapnel as Hezbollah barrages target Tiberias, Haifa

IDF hits dozens of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, as alleged Israeli strike said to kill 5 soldiers in Syria; Iraqi militia says it shot drones, missiles at Israel, but army unaware

By Emanuel Fabian 27 September 2024, 3:00 pm Edit

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

The Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets launched from Lebanon, as seen from Haifa, September 27, 2024. (AP/Maya Alleruzzo)
The Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets launched from Lebanon, as seen from Haifa, September 27, 2024. (AP/Maya Alleruzzo)

Hezbollah fired multiple rocket salvos at northern Israel on Friday morning, resulting in at least one injury, as the Israel Defense Forces continued to strike targets linked to the terror group in Lebanon and Syria.

In Tiberias, a 25-year-old Israeli man was moderately wounded after shrapnel following an interception of a rocket hit him, the Magen David Adom ambulance said. Two others were lightly hurt after falling while running for shelter during the sirens.

According to the Israel, Defense Forces, some 10 rockets were launched at the Sea of Galilee coastal city in the attack, most of which were shot down by air defenses. Earlier in the morning, one rocket launched at Tiberias from Lebanon landed in the Sea of Galilee, causing no damage or injuries.

“Most of the impacts were in the Sea of Galilee, fortunately for us, but there were also impacts in the city. It’s very important to heed the instructions of the Home Front Command — as we approach Shabbat, we’re asking you to keep excursions outside to a minimum,” said Tiberias Mayor Yossi Nava.

The Iran-backed terror group in Lebanon also fired some 10 rockets at Haifa on Friday morning, setting off sirens in the northern coastal city and its suburbs, the IDF said.

Some of the rockets fired at Haifa were intercepted, while others struck open areas, according to the military. Reports said at least one rocket landed in the sea.

The Magen David Adom ambulance service did not report any injuries in the barrage on Haifa, though there were reports that some shrapnel fell in the city. A spokesperson for the Haifa Port said there was no impact or shrapnel in the area of the port itself.

The IDF also said it had shot down four drones that crossed into Israeli airspace from Lebanon off the coast, near the town of Rosh Hanikra situated just south of the border.

No alert sirens sounded since there was no danger to residents, the military added.

In a visit Friday morning to the northern city of Safed, which has been targeted by a number of rocket attacks in recent days, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant urged residents to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command, and vowed to change the security situation in the north.

“We are hitting Hezbollah very hard over the past year and in particular over the past few weeks,” said Gallant in a video message from the northern city.

“We will continue and increase this effort — we plan to bring security to the towns in the north and to safely return home those who were evacuated,” he added.

Gallant, along with Defense Ministry Secretary General Eyal Zamir, received a tour of the city from Safed Mayor Yossi Kakon, surveying the damage by recent rocket impacts, which have caused property damage and sparked fires in recent days.

Also Friday, the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed to have launched drones and cruise missiles at Israel overnight, but no sirens sounded in Israel. As of Friday afternoon, the military said it was unaware of any projectiles reaching the country from Iraq.

Meanwhile, the IDF carried out dozens of airstrikes on Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, amid a new offensive against the terror group following almost a year of daily rocket fire on Israeli border communities and military posts.

Smoke rises from a fire that broke out from missiles fired from Lebanon at a forest outside the northern Israeli city of Safed, September 26, 2024. (David Cohen/Flash90)

The offensive is meant to allow residents of northern Israel to return to their homes, after a year of internal displacement beginning in the wake of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, which was immediately followed by the start of the barrages from Hezbollah.

The strikes on Friday targeted terror cells along with dozens of Hezbollah weapon depots, primed rocket launchers, and buildings used by the terror group in Sidon, Nabatieh, and other areas of southern Lebanon, the IDF said, releasing footage of the strikes.

Fighter jets also struck the rocket launchers responsible for the barrages on Haifa and Tiberias, the military said.

Additionally, a purported Israeli airstrike in Syria killed five Syrian soldiers and wounded one more near the border with Lebanon, the official news agency SANA claimed, citing a military source.

“The Israeli enemy carried out an aerial attack… on one of our military positions near Kfar Yabus on the Syrian-Lebanese border,” SANA reported.

There was no immediate comment from the IDF on the strike, which rarely publicly comments on strikes in Syria.

Another purported Israeli strike at around 3 a.m. on Friday allegedly killed nine people from the same family in the southern Lebanese border town of Shebaa, including four children, according to mayor Mohammad Saab.

The state-run National News Agency reported the deaths in the strike early Friday in Shebaa, but offered no other details.

The Israeli military did not immediately acknowledge the strike.

Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes in the southern village of Kfar Rouman, seen from Marjayoun, south Lebanon, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there.

So far, the skirmishes have resulted in 26 civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 22 IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.

Before this week’s flareup, Hezbollah had named 513 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. These numbers have not been consistently updated since Israel began its new offensive this week.

Since Israel escalated its airstrikes on the Hezbollah terror group on Monday, more than 630 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to the country’s health ministry.

At least a quarter of those killed have been women and children, according to Lebanese health officials. More than 2,000 were wounded.

Israel has said that many Hezbollah operatives are among the dead.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

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