In a night of escalating tensions, Hezbollah launched a brazen multi-drone assault on northern Israel, striking deep into Israeli territory and leaving at least 67 people wounded, several critically. According to Israeli media, three drones were fired at Israel late Sunday evening. While the IDF successfully intercepted two of the UAVs, one drone managed to breach Israel’s defenses and strike the densely populated Binyamina region.
The attack unfolded swiftly and dangerously. Channel 12 reports that two drones were initially fired together: one was shot down near Haifa, and the other penetrated Israeli airspace, targeting a gathering of civilians near Binyamina, causing mass casualties. A third drone, launched moments later, was intercepted by the Israeli Navy over the Mediterranean Sea, just off the coast of Haifa.
Ynet is now posting about the incident so censure was lifted. A UAV hit an IDF base in the north, Binyamina area, where fresh Golani recruits were stationed. Reports are saying the UAV fired a missile first and then also crashed itself into the base. Reports claim at least 20… pic.twitter.com/Is3CfydF74
— Israel News Pulse (@israelnewspulse) October 13, 2024
Mass Casualties in Binyamina
The Binyamina strike marked one of the most severe drone attacks in recent memory. The Hezbollah UAV hit its target with deadly precision, resulting in widespread devastation. Magen David Adom (MDA) and the IDF reported that the drone explosion injured approximately 67 people. Of those, four are currently fighting for their lives in critical condition, five are severely injured, and 14 others were taken to local hospitals with moderate injuries. An additional 20 individuals suffered light wounds, many of them treated at the scene without requiring hospitalization. The chaotic aftermath saw helicopters airlifting the most severely wounded to Israel's top medical facilities, including Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer and Rambam Medical Center in Haifa.
The shocking nature of the attack has left the country reeling. Not only did the UAV successfully enter Israeli airspace undetected, but no warning sirens were triggered prior to the strike. This failure has sparked immediate inquiries, with the IDF launching a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
Tragic events in Binyamina, Israel. A direct hit from a Hezbollah drone. 20 injured with 5 seriously.
— David Collier (@mishtal) October 13, 2024
Hezbollah must be dismantled.
We must also blame @UNIFIL_. It was their job to keep Sth Lebanon peaceful.
If Hezbollah built a fortress there - it was on UNIFIL's watch.
IDF Scrambles to Defend Israel Amid Growing Threat
Hezbollah’s calculated drone assault is part of a broader and rapidly escalating conflict. In the minutes leading up to the Binyamina strike, sirens had sounded in Nahariya and Acre, alerting residents to potential incoming threats. The Israeli Air Force is now examining whether the drone that detonated over Wadi Ara around 7:15 PM was the same UAV that triggered alarms in Nahariya earlier in the evening. It’s believed that Hezbollah launched at least three drones simultaneously as part of a coordinated attack, but only two were successfully intercepted. One UAV was reportedly neutralized by the Israeli Navy off the northern coast, though this victory did little to prevent the disaster inland.
No Early Warnings, Major Military Investigations Launched
The absence of early warning systems during this unprecedented UAV strike has become a point of fierce criticism. Contrary to typical protocol, no detection systems picked up the incoming UAV, and no alarms were sounded before the deadly attack. This has raised serious questions about Israel’s air defense capabilities in the face of increasingly sophisticated threats from Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations. The IDF confirmed that they had not even attempted an interception of the drone that struck Binyamina.
There are around 40 wounded in a #Hezbollah drone attack on Binyamina, #Israel. pic.twitter.com/sCrf72L0a5
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) October 13, 2024
Further complicating matters, an alarm that went off in Talmei Elazar at 7:00 PM, near the Binyamina strike zone, was later revealed to be unrelated to the drone attack. That alarm was triggered by the successful interception of a ballistic missile launched from Lebanon—underscoring the multi-faceted nature of the threat Israel is now facing.
Hospitals Mobilized as Israel Grapples with Rising Casualties
The aftermath of the attack has overwhelmed local medical facilities. In a matter of hours, hospitals across northern Israel mobilized to treat the influx of injured civilians. The critically wounded were airlifted to major trauma centers, while ambulances ferried the moderately and lightly injured to regional hospitals. The Emek Medical Center in Afula received four people with light injuries, while the Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus treated three individuals with moderate wounds. In total, 28 casualties were rushed to various hospitals for immediate treatment.
The gravity of the situation prompted Israeli television networks to suspend regular programming in favor of continuous news coverage. Ran Boker of Ynet confirmed that Israel’s major channels would not air scheduled primetime broadcasts, choosing instead to update the nation on the latest developments of the ongoing conflict.
The part that gets me is @MarioNawfal is letting his platform to be used by Islamist @ShaykhSulaiman to peddle these lies.
— Jay Engelmayer (@jengelmayer) October 13, 2024
Apparently, hundreds of thousands of IDF soldiers are dead and Israel is hiding that.
Mario interviews @elonmusk type players - this is bad for his brand.
IDF's Response: Relentless Strikes on Hezbollah
In response to the devastating drone attack, the IDF escalated its retaliatory strikes across southern Lebanon. Over the past 24 hours, the Israeli Air Force has launched a relentless wave of airstrikes, targeting over 200 Hezbollah positions. These strikes are aimed at crippling the terror group’s military infrastructure, particularly in the south of Lebanon, where Hezbollah's presence is most entrenched. Despite the intensity of these airstrikes and the deployment of four IDF divisions to the Lebanese front, rocket fire from Hezbollah has continued to bombard northern Israel unabated.
As the conflict escalates, the Israeli public is left grappling with the reality of a growing threat from the north. Hezbollah's ability to strike deep into Israeli territory, bypassing sophisticated air defense systems, signals a new phase of the conflict that may see even greater violence in the days ahead.
