Hezbollah rockets rain down on Israel, destroying several settlements

Iran and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah launched an unprecedented series of missile and drone attacks on northern and central Israel on Wednesday night (March 11), heating up the Middle East battlefield. Hezbollah fired at least 150 rockets from the Lebanese border, in what is believed to be Hezbollah’s largest attack since the conflict escalated this month.
At the same time, ballistic missile attacks from Iran made the attack a “coordinated operation.” The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the powerful attack set off sirens across a large area of ​​the country and forced millions of people to take shelter.
Hezbollah launched the new operation in the context of fierce fighting between Iran and joint Israeli-US air forces that began on February 28. Analysts believe that the retaliatory attacks from Lebanon were primarily aimed at deterring an ongoing attack on their main backer, Iran. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed in a statement that it had carried out the operation in conjunction with Hezbollah to distract Israeli defenses. The intensity of the attacks was so high that alerts were issued in cities from the Galilee to Haifa and up to 50 kilometers from the border.
Although Israeli air defenses were able to intercept most of the Iranian missiles and Hezbollah rockets, several were reported to have been hit. A rocket hit a house in the northern Israeli town of B’Aina, injuring at least two people. Rescue teams also confirmed that several local residents were given first aid amid intense panic.
The violence, which began last night, continued into the early hours of Thursday morning. Sirens were repeatedly sounded to prevent drone infiltration in the northern cities of Nahariya, Acre and Haifa. Hezbollah claimed to have launched a sophisticated missile attack on the headquarters of the Israeli military intelligence agency Unit 8200, or ‘Glilot Base’, on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. A direct rocket attack was reported on a house in the central Israeli town of Hoshel Harniel, but fortunately there were no casualties.
In response, the Israeli Air Force launched a series of airstrikes targeting Hezbollah strongholds in the Dahiyeh area, south of the Lebanese capital Beirut. The IDF said it was conducting the operation to destroy Hezbollah command centers and weapons depots.
Local sources in Lebanon reported that the Israeli strikes in Beirut and the surrounding areas caused several casualties and extensive damage. Israeli military officials have warned that Hezbollah’s attacks could worsen and the situation is moving towards a full-scale war.
A senior Israeli government official has warned that if the Lebanese government fails to control Hezbollah’s activities, it could also attack Israeli civilian infrastructure. Earlier, US media outlets CNN and Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Tel Aviv is fearing a major attack from Iran and Hezbollah. Those fears became reality when a ballistic missile fired from Iran last night put Jerusalem and the southern tip of Israel on alert.
Hezbollah said in a statement that it carried out the rocket attacks in response to Israeli attacks on dozens of Lebanese cities and the outskirts of Beirut. It called the operation the beginning of a new phase. Meanwhile, Israel’s Home Front Command advised residents in the north to stay in bomb shelters or safe havens until further notice. In many places, rocket attacks have begun in open areas and firefighters are working through the night to control the fires.

Source: Times of Israel