By Hezbollah launched dozens of projectiles into Israel early Wednesday, including a missile aimed at Tel Aviv that marked the militant group’s deepest strike yet into Israeli territory. The attack comes in retaliation for recent Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon that have killed hundreds and displaced thousands.
The Israeli military reported intercepting the surface-to-surface missile, which triggered air-raid sirens across central Israel. No casualties or damage were reported in Tel Aviv. Israeli forces subsequently struck the launch site in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah claimed it fired a Qader 1 ballistic missile targeting the headquarters of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. The group alleges Mossad is responsible for recent assassinations of its commanders and last week’s explosions that killed 39 people and injured nearly 3,000.
This marks the first time a projectile from Lebanon has reached central Israel, according to the Israeli military. The attack has significantly escalated tensions in a region already teetering on the brink of all-out war.
In response to the missile launch, Israel conducted new strikes on Hezbollah targets. Lebanese officials reported at least three people killed and nine wounded in an Israeli strike near Byblos, north of Beirut and far from Hezbollah’s main strongholds.
The conflict has forced thousands of Lebanese civilians to flee southward, seeking refuge in Beirut and Sidon. Displaced families are sheltering in schools, cars, parks, and along beaches, with some attempting to leave the country entirely.
Hezbollah’s strikes on Wednesday included dozens of rockets fired into northern Israel. One rocket hit an empty home in Safed, causing a fire. The Israeli military reported that at one point, militants fired 40 projectiles simultaneously.
The escalating violence has disrupted life for over a million people in northern Israel, with schools closed and public gatherings restricted. Many businesses in Haifa have shut down, and streets are noticeably emptier.
Israel has moved thousands of troops from Gaza to the northern border in response to the threat. The military estimates Hezbollah possesses around 150,000 rockets and missiles, some capable of striking anywhere in Israel.
As the situation deteriorates, the United Nations Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting on Lebanon at France’s request. International concern is growing over the potential for a wider regional conflict, even as Israel continues its operations against Hamas in Gaza.
The recent escalation began after explosions hidden in pagers and walkie-talkies killed dozens in Lebanon last week, an attack blamed on Israel. Since then, both sides have intensified their military actions, with civilian casualties mounting and displacement increasing on both sides of the border.
