Hezbollah launched a volley of 62 rockets targeting an Israeli air surveillance base

In a significant escalation of tensions, Hezbollah launched a significant rocket attack on northern Israel on Saturday. This action was declared as the initial retaliation for the assassination of Hamas’s senior leader, Saleh Arouri, by Israel earlier in the week in Beirut’s southern region, a known Hezbollah stronghold.

The leader of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, emphasized the necessity of this response, stating that failure to retaliate would leave Lebanon open to future Israeli attacks. This statement was seen as an effort to justify the actions to the Lebanese populace, despite the potential for increased conflict with Israel amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for firing 62 rockets at an Israeli air surveillance base on Mount Meron, asserting successful strikes. In contrast, the Israeli military acknowledged the attack, reporting approximately 40 rockets and targeting the responsible Hezbollah cell, without confirming any hits on the base.

The attacks triggered air raid sirens across northern Israel, including in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The Israel-Lebanon border has been a site of frequent hostilities, primarily involving Israeli forces and Hezbollah, since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7.

Israel has not officially accepted responsibility for the killing of Arouri, marking the first such incident in Beirut since the conflict began last year.

The ongoing cross-border violence has resulted in significant casualties. In Lebanon, the death toll includes 175 people, encompassing 129 Hezbollah fighters and over 20 civilians, among them three journalists. In northern Israel, casualties include nine soldiers and at least four civilians, as per Israeli reports.