Deadly Airstrikes Rock South Lebanon After Rocket Attack Hits Israel’s Northern HQ

Rockets launched from Lebanon struck the Israeli military’s northern command in Safad on Wednesday morning, resulting in the death of a female soldier and injuries to seven others, according to Israeli sources.

Later in the day, the discovery of another deceased Israeli soldier brought the total fatalities to two, as reported.

An Israeli military spokesperson shared on the X platform that the Netua area, Menara, and the Israeli army’s northern base were the targets of several rockets fired from Lebanon. The Israeli forces retaliated by targeting the launch sites.

In response to the morning’s events, the Israeli air force initiated a series of airstrikes in Lebanon, targeting areas deep in the south. These included the outskirts of the Iqlim al-Tuffah towns of Jbaa, Sanya, Zhalta, Buslayya, a structure along the Adshit-Qsaybeh route in Nabatiyeh, al-Shehabiyeh in the Tyre district, and al-Sawwaneh in the Marjeyoun district, as detailed by the National News Agency (NNA).

The airstrikes resulted in three fatalities in al-Sawwaneh and one in Adshit, with an additional nine individuals sustaining injuries in Adshit.

Since the commencement of the conflict between Hamas and Israel on October 7, the death toll in Lebanon has reached at least 243, including Hezbollah fighters and 30 civilians, based on an AFP count.

On the Israeli side, the conflict has claimed the lives of nine soldiers and six civilians, as officially recorded.

Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, labeled the Safad attack a “declaration of war,” advocating for a significant shift in Israel’s approach to maintaining power along the Lebanese frontier.

As of this report, Hezbollah has not claimed responsibility for the attack, although there have been instances of other groups launching rockets towards northern Israel in recent months.