7 civilians killed by Hezbollah on deadliest day in northern Israel in months; IDF responds by pounding Beirut & Nabatiyeh

Three Israeli and four Thai citizens were killed by Hezbollah rocket fire in northern Israel on Thursday, marking the deadliest day for civilians in several months.

Overnight, the IDF responded with large-scale waves of airstrikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district and the southern Lebanese town Nabatiyeh.

The seven civilian deaths capped a particularly bloody month of October, which saw 87 Israelis lose their lives in battle against terrorists, in terror attacks, or through hostile rocket and drone fire, including 64 members of security forces and 23 civilians.

In the first incident yesterday, an Israeli farmer and four Thai agricultural workers were struck by a rocket while working in an orchard near Metula before noon. The farmer was identified as Omer Weinstein, a resident of Kibbutz Dafna.

Thailand’s foreign minister, Maris Sangiampongsa, said he was “deeply saddened” by the deaths of Kawisak Papanang, Akaphon Vanasay, Thanh Tig’antk and Prayat Philatram. In addition, another Thai worker was wounded.

בהמשך לאזעקות האחרונות, בזירה נוספת סמוך לכביש 79 בשטח חקלאי. חובשים ופראמדיקים של מד"א מעניקים טיפול רפואי ל-3 פצועים, מתוכם: אישה כבת 60 וגבר כבן 20 במצב אנוש וגבר נוסף כבן 70 עם פציעה קלה, כולם עם פציעות מרסיסים. עדכון בהמשך. pic.twitter.com/5MnEbQTEA2

— מגן דוד אדום (@mda_israel) October 31, 2024

Some hours later, shrapnel from another Hezbollah rocket attack hit an olive grove near Kibbutz Afek near Haifa, killing Mina and Karmi Hasson, a mother and her son from the nearby Arab-majority town of Shefaram. Another man was lightly wounded.

By the afternoon, at least 60 rockets had been fired at northern Israel, in addition to several drone attacks. One drone infiltrated Israeli airspace near Kiryat Bialik in the evening and triggered alarm sirens continuously for about 15 minutes, from the sea to around 30 km (about 18 miles) inland, until the Israeli Air Force managed to shoot it down.

Later that night, the IDF issued evacuation notices for areas in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district and the southern town of Nabatieh, before striking numerous targets throughout the night in response to the earlier Hezbollah attacks.

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Friday called Israel’s attacks an “expansion” of the fighting, accusing Israel of consciously trying to derail ongoing ceasefire talks.

“The Israeli enemy’s renewed expansion of the scope of its aggression on Lebanese regions, its repeated threats to the population to evacuate entire cities and villages, and its renewed targeting of the southern suburbs of Beirut with destructive raids are all indicators that confirm the Israeli enemy’s rejection of all efforts being made to secure a ceasefire,” Mikati stated.

“Israeli statements and diplomatic signals that Lebanon received confirm Israel’s stubbornness in rejecting the proposed solutions and insisting on the approach of killing and destruction,” he added.

Overnight, Lebanese media said at least 10 strikes hit Dahiyeh, after several days without attacks in Beirut.

An Israeli airstrike targeting a Hezbollah site in Beirut's Dahieh a short time ago. pic.twitter.com/rJfniN3Ona

— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) November 1, 2024

“The raids left massive destruction in the targeted areas, as dozens of buildings were leveled to the ground, in addition to the outbreak of fires,” Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported.

However, Israel’s Army Radio military correspondent Doron Kadosh noted that footage from Beirut after the attack showed most buildings in the neighborhood still standing.

“The Hezbollah stronghold is not completely destroyed. Israel is still operating in the Dahiyeh district in a targeted manner against specific objectives.”

במהלך הלילה מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר תקפו בהכוונה מודיעינית מדויקת של אגף המודיעין, אתרים לייצור אמצעי לחימה, מפקדות מרכזיות ותשתיות צבאיות נוספות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב ביירות>> pic.twitter.com/6E61Nr9C05

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) November 1, 2024

“This means there are more possible levers of pressure against Hezbollah to continue the negotiations for the settlement. There are other actions that can be carried out in Beirut to get Hezbollah to agree to Israel’s terms.”

According to the IDF, airstrikes targeted weapon production sites, command centers and other military infrastructure in Beirut.

במהלך היממה האחרונה חיל האוויר תקף יותר מ-200 מטרות טרור של ארגוני הטרור חמאס וחיזבאללה, בין המטרות שהותקפו: מפקדות פיקוד ושליטה, משגרים, תשתיות צבאיות. בשיתוף עם פיקוד הצפון, הושמד המשגר ממנו בוצע הירי לעבר מרחב המפרץ אתמול וחוסל המחבל שביצע את הירי>> pic.twitter.com/cbzVupqMDt

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) November 1, 2024

In Nabatieh, it struck “command and control complexes, intelligence infrastructures and headquarters used by Hezbollah’s ‘Southern Front’ headquarters throughout Nabatieh in southern Lebanon during the night.”

“All of the targets are located in the heart of a civilian population, this is another example of the terrorist organization Hezbollah's cynical exploitation of Lebanese citizens,” the IDF said.