In a stark escalation of hostilities, an anti-tank guided missile attack near the northern Israeli community of Zar’it today resulted in three injuries, including an IDF soldier, the military and medics reported. According to the IDF, two missiles were fired from Lebanon, underlining the intensifying threat from Hezbollah.
The victims—an American civilian aged 31 in serious condition, a lightly injured civilian, and a lightly injured soldier—were rushed to Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya. The IDF is currently probing why the two civilians were present at the army post during the attack.
This incident marks a severe breach, as Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for the attack. Earlier today, two more anti-tank missiles were launched from the Ayta al Sha'ab area towards Shetula, though no casualties were reported.
Three Individuals including an Israeli Soldier and Two Civilians were Injured earlier by a Hezbollah Anti-Tank Guided Missile Attack on an Army Post near the Border Town of Zar'it in Northern Israel. Of the Two Civilians, one is a 31-Year-Old American National who is listed in…
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) July 7, 2024
In retaliation, IDF fighter jets launched a series of powerful airstrikes on Hezbollah military structures in Ayta al Sha'ab and terrorist infrastructure in Naqoura. This follows the alarming detection of 20 launches into Israeli territory from Lebanon, activating alerts across northern Israel.
Fire and rescue teams were immediately dispatched to extinguish blazes in Sasa and Tzavon near Meron, triggered by the missile falls.
The morning saw a separate combined assault of rockets and drones from Lebanon targeting various areas in the Lower and Eastern Galilee. The IDF reported that roughly 20 projectiles crossed into Israeli territory, with some intercepted by air defenses. A 28-year-old farmer from an agricultural field near Kfar Zeitim was seriously wounded by shrapnel in this onslaught.
Israel attacked a building killing a Hezbollah fighter who was spotted firing anti tank missiles pic.twitter.com/W5p80rNt87
— adam7867862 (@adam7867862) July 7, 2024
Magen David Adom (MDA) ambulance service promptly treated the injured farmer, who was transported to Galilee Medical Center in serious but stable condition. “We reached the injured man who was fully conscious and suffering from shrapnel wounds,” recounted MDA Paramedic David Fahima and Senior MDA Medic Aviad Amar.
Nitzan Peleg, head of the Lower Galilee Regional Council, expressed the community's distress: “It is a difficult day with a person seriously injured by a rocket strike in the Kfar Zeitim area.” Fires ignited in unpopulated areas near the town’s industrial park due to the bombardment.
Hezbollah boldly claimed responsibility for launching "dozens of Katyusha rockets at the Nimra base west of Tiberias," citing retaliation for the assassination of their air defense expert Meitham Alattar in an airstrike in the Bekaa Valley.
🔴 IDF releases footage of Hezbollah firing anti-tank guided missiles at Israel pic.twitter.com/wTgmQWHgX7
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) July 7, 2024
The barrage of attacks triggered multiple air raid sirens across the Lower and Central Galilee, including communities such as Kfar Nahum HaYarden, Givat Avni, Sde Ilan, Hodayot, Rama, Beit Jann, and Bu'eine Nujeidat. Firefighting teams have been tirelessly working to contain several fires that erupted in Kadmat Galil, Kfar Zeitim, Lavi, and HaZoreim in the Tiberias area due to the heavy bombardment.
Earlier, Hezbollah also took responsibility for firing at "surveillance equipment" at a military post in Israeli territory, adding to the tension and underscoring the volatile situation.
This dramatic uptick in violence has once again highlighted the precarious security situation in northern Israel and the relentless threat posed by Hezbollah, necessitating vigilant and robust defensive measures.