Hezbollah Launches Drone and Rocket Attacks on Northern Israel
On Tuesday, May 7th, sirens blared throughout the Galilee panhandle as Hezbollah launched rockets and aerial drones at northern Israel. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed the attacks and successfully intercepted one of the drones. Another drone, likely the one that caused a minor fire near Kibbutz Yiftah, fell in an open area. The IDF reported no casualties.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attacks, which came just one day after another drone carrying explosives crashed into an army position near Metula, killing two reserve soldiers. The soldiers were identified as Master Sergeant (Res.) Dan Kamkagi and Master Sergeant (Res.) Nahman Natan Hertz.
In response to the attacks, the IDF fired artillery to remove a threat in the area of Aalma El Chaeb in southern Lebanon and conducted air strikes on Hezbollah positions in Ayta ash-Shab, Srebbine, and Mazraat Aaqmata.
These attacks have displaced around 250,000 Israelis from communities near the Gaza and Lebanese borders. While residents of Gaza-border communities are slowly returning home, Hezbollah leaders have indicated they will continue their attacks to prevent residents of northern Israel from doing the same.
Israeli officials have called for Hezbollah to be disarmed and removed from Southern Lebanon per UN Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War.