Man dies from wounds caused by defective Iron Dome missile amid Hezbollah drone attack
Mikhael Sammarah, 27, was visiting family from abroad when interceptor missed drone and exploded on highway; IDF says two Hezbollah operatives killed in southern Lebanon strike
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A man who was critically injured by a malfunctioning Iron Dome interceptor missile on Tuesday, amid a Hezbollah drone attack on the Western Galilee, has succumbed to his wounds, hospital officials said Friday.
Mikhael Sammarah, 27, originally from Kafr Yasif in northern Israel and a student in the Czech Republic, had arrived in Israel recently to visit his family.
Amid the attack on Tuesday, an Iron Dome interceptor missile missed one of Hezbollah’s explosive-laden drones and hit the Route 4 highway near Nahariya.
Sammarah was critically injured by shrapnel from the interceptor impact and taken to Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya for treatment. Earlier Friday, he died of his wounds, the hospital said.
Another 19 people were wounded amid the attack, mostly with minor injuries, including six soldiers, when one of the drones impacted a nearby army base. Most have been released from hospital.
His family has decided to donate his organs, the Ynet news site reported.
Sammarah’s uncle Nasser told the Ynet news site Thursday that his nephew was on his way to visit a friend when he was injured by the shrapnel.
Hezbollah continued its attacks on Israel Friday, with over 15 rockets fired within an hour at midday, the IDF said.
Most of the rockets were intercepted, while at least two impacted the city, causing damage, according to the IDF and local authorities.
Earlier this morning, the Kiryat Shmona Municipality said three rockets launched from Lebanon fell in open areas near the city.
No casualties were reported in the attacks.
The military also announced that two Hezbollah operatives were killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon’s Naqoura earlier Friday.
The operatives had been spotted by troops of the 146th Division leaving a building in use by the terror group, and a short while later a drone attacked them.
Hezbollah has not yet confirmed their deaths.
מוקדם יותר היום, כוח של אוגדה 146 זיהה שני מחבלים של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה יוצאים ממבנה צבאי של הארגון במרחב א-נקורה שבדרום לבנון. זמן קצר לאחר מכן כלי טיס של חיל האוויר תקף וחיסל את המחבלים pic.twitter.com/ZUVRvHpxbv
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 9, 2024
A series of Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon were struck by Israeli fighter jets overnight, the IDF said.
The targets included a Hezbollah command room in Hanaouay, as well as infrastructure and a rocket launcher in Ayta ash-Shab, the latter of which had been used in an attack on the Biranit army base yesterday, according to the IDF.
מטוסי קרב תקפו במהלך הלילה מפקדה של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב חנאוויה ותשתית טרור של הארגון במרחב עייתא א-שעב שבדרום לבנון.
בנוסף, מטוסי קרב תקפו משגר ששימש את חיזבאללה במרחב עייתא א-שעב, ממנו שוגרו אתמול רקטות למרחב בירנית שבגליל העליון, לא היו נפגעים >> pic.twitter.com/iJMyP6xR1z
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 9, 2024
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.
Tensions have been especially high as the terror group has vowed retaliation for Israel’s killing of top commander Fuad Shukr on July 30, which came after a Hezbollah rocket attack killed 12 children in the Golan Heights days earlier.
So far, the skirmishes have resulted in 26 civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 18 IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.
Hezbollah has named 403 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. In Lebanon, another 70 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier and dozens of civilians have been killed.
