Video: Hezbollah barrages inflict heavy damage in northern Israel

A sudden shriek heralds a powerful explosion, followed by a cloud of thick black smoke. Massive craters, the size of refrigerators, mark the spots where Hezbollah anti-tank missiles have struck along Israel’s northern border.

Since Hamas’s unprecedented attack on October 7 ignited the Gaza conflict, Hezbollah has engaged in almost daily exchanges of fire with the Israeli army. The Iran-backed group has launched thousands of rockets, mortar rounds, anti-tank missiles, and drones at northern Israel.

According to the Israeli army, these exchanges have resulted in the deaths of at least 11 civilians and 14 soldiers in Israel. In Lebanon, an AFP tally reports at least 429 fatalities, mostly militants but also including 82 civilians.

### Assessing the Damage

The ongoing barrages have severely impacted Israeli towns and villages near the border, which have been evacuated for over six months. These attacks serve as a grim reminder of the potential destruction a full-scale war could bring.

The Israeli defense ministry’s body in charge of rebuilding northern communities has received 930 damage reports, about a third of which are classified as moderate to critical. Most of the damage has affected residential buildings. In towns like Arab al-Aramsheh, Menara, and Metula, hundreds more cases remain unassessed due to safety concerns for inspectors.

While no cost estimate was provided, a senior defense official indicated that reconstruction in the hardest-hit areas could take months to a year. In Kibbutz Menara, approximately 30 percent of buildings have sustained substantial damage.

The Northern Horizon Directorate report noted that 26 percent of the reported damage was caused by Israeli troops entrenched in evacuated towns and villages along the 120-kilometer (75-mile) border. The Israeli military expressed regret for any damage to residents’ property and is working to minimize it as much as possible.

### Staying Put

The most vulnerable communities were evacuated at the onset of hostilities, displacing around 60,000 civilians. Access to these areas is restricted by the Israeli military. However, AFP reporters visited Shtula, a village on the border with 44 recorded cases of moderate to critical damage.

Despite her neighbor’s house taking a direct hit and missiles striking other nearby buildings, Ora Hatan, 60, remains in Shtula. “An anti-tank missile flew over the chicken coop and right into the house,” Hatan recounted, pointing to her neighbor’s property. “Fortunately, no one was home.”

Hatan refuses to leave, despite the constant bombardment. “It’s my house. It’s my land. It’s my country. Where would I go? Why should I go?” she said from her balcony overlooking the Lebanese village of Raymeh, just over a mile away.

### Calls for Action

As the conflict drags on and Hezbollah’s attacks persist, northern residents grow increasingly frustrated with what they see as inaction. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has repeatedly promised to restore security, either through diplomatic or military means. The two sides last engaged in a major conflict in 2006.

Israel’s Channel 13 reported that National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi told lawmakers that “the cabinet hasn’t defined any clear objective concerning the north—not dates, not targets, not strategic aims.”

A poll by Israel’s public broadcaster revealed that 46 percent of respondents support military action in Lebanon, while 29 percent are opposed.

On Thursday, a few hundred activists set up a protest camp to demand immediate action to restore security and allow displaced residents to return home. Nisan Zeevi, one of the organizers who lives in Kibbutz Kfar Giladi, stated, “We aim to express our protest to the Israeli government and the world until they find a solution to the severe security situation.”