Hezbollah keeps up rocket fire on northern Israel; IDF chief warns any potential agreement will be enforced by fire
Hezbollah fired another 120 rockets and several drones at northern Israel on Thursday, wounding an elderly man in Kfar Masaryk and continuing its intense pace of attacks that killed and wounded several Israelis in recent days.
Lebanese authorities meanwhile said that an Israeli strike wounded UNIFIL peacekeepers and Lebanese Army (LFA) soldiers, risking new international controversy over alleged Israeli attacks on the UN peacekeeping force.
An alleged Israeli airstrike on Thursday hit a car near a checkpoint manned by the LFA and UNIFIL, the LFA said.
“The Israeli enemy targeted a car while it was passing through the Awali checkpoint in Sidon, which led to the killing of three citizens who were inside it, in addition to the injury of three soldiers manning the checkpoint and four members of the Malaysian” contingent in UNIFIL, according to the LFA statement.
Lebanese authorities do not distinguish between civilians and combatants in their casualty announcements. So far, the IDF hasn’t taken responsibility or commented on the target of the strike.
Other Israeli strikes on Thursday targeted a control complex of Hezbollah’s aerial unit (127) in the area of Tyre, “in this headquarters, the unit operated to carry out suicide drone and intelligence collection missions toward the territory of the State of Israel.”
The IDF added that fighter jets hit several other targets across the country including ammunition depots, launchers and military buildings, as well as the rocket launcher used to attack the Haifa Bay area earlier in the day.
During one of the numerous rocket barrages throughout the day, an 85-year-old man was lightly wounded by rocket shrapnel in Kibbutz Kfar Masaryk, the Magen David Adom emergency service said. He was also treated for his wounds and extreme anxiety at Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, medics added.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi toured the north on Thursday, meeting with mayors and council leaders. “There is nothing that symbolizes victory more than the safe return of the residents, and we will do this together,” he told them.
Amid continuing efforts to reach a broad diplomatic arrangement to end the hostilities in Lebanon, Halevi cautioned: “In any political arrangement, if there is one, the IDF will have to enforce violations with fire.”
“We are damaging the infrastructure that Hezbollah built since 2006, we are going after it as hard as possible and we will not let it stand up. It doesn’t end there, we continue with a lot of determination and strength. I meet the forces operating in the field, I’m full of pride to fight for the noble goal of returning residents safely.”
“Throughout the war, the level of coordination and cooperation between the IDF and the local authorities and the cities is one of the best we have ever known,” Halevi added.
Meanwhile, the IDF announced the death of Master Sgt. (res.) Guy Shabtay (39), from Jerusalem. He was killed during a firefight between forces of the Alon Brigade and Hezbollah terrorists in a village in southern Lebanon on Oct. 26, where five soldiers were killed and five others severely wounded.
On Friday morning, Hezbollah continued its attacks, firing 20 rockets and at least one drone at northern Israel.
