Hezbollah Fires Largest Barrage of Rockets Since War’s Outbreak

Jerusalem, 13 June, 2024 (TPS) -- Two Israelis were injured and fire crews raced to fight new blazes on Thursday after Hezbollah continued escalating with larger barrages of rockets and drones.

Hezbollah said it launched more than 150 rockets and 30 drones at northern Israel on Thursday. The day before, as Israelis celebrated the Shavuot holiday, the Iran-backed terror group fired more than 200 rockets.

In northern Israel, where temperatures reached 41° C, firefighters battled blazes sparked by Hezbollah rocket fire. A fire and rescue spokesperson said crews were fighting to put out extensive fires in the Biryeh forest and areas around the municipalities and agricultural communities of Safed, Katzrin, Kibbutz Kfar Szold, Kibbutz El-Rom and Kibbutz Avivim.

Magen David Adom responders treated two Israelis for light shrapnel wounds.

Schools in Safed and throughout the Golan were closed, forcing local authorities to reschedule year-end matriculation exams.

Hezbollah said the escalation was in response to an Israeli airstrike that killed Sami Taleb Abdullah in the southern Lebanese town of Jouaiya on Tuesday night. Abdullah, who headed Hezbollah’s Nasr Unit and was connected to numerous terror attacks, was the highest-ranking Hezbollah figure killed since October 7.

Around 60,000 Israelis living in northern communities were forced to evacuate in October when the Hezbollah terror organization began daily rocket and drone attacks. Leaders of the Iran-backed terror group have said they will continue the attacks to prevent Israelis from returning to their homes. Since October 7, the Hezbollah attacks have killed 10 civilians and 14 soldiers.

Israeli officials have been calling for Hezbollah to be disarmed and removed from Southern Lebanon in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War.