Hezbollah launches 55 rockets at Israel after IDF strike destroys weapons cache killing 10 people

IDF soldier seriously wounded, another sustains light injuries in drone attack

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The Israeli Air Force targeted and bombed a Hezbollah military building and a weapons warehouse in the area of Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon overnight, the IDF announced on Saturday morning.

In addition, Israeli forces used artillery fire against various Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon where the Iranian-backed terrorist group has a strong presence.

The Lebanese state news agency NNA claimed that 10 Syrian nationals were killed in the Israeli strikes. It is currently unclear whether the fatalities were civilians or armed militants.

Iran employs a considerable number of Syrian-based militants as an additional proxy force.

The Lebanese news outlet MTV complained that Hezbollah operatives prevented their journalists from reaching the impacted sites in southern Lebanon.

Later on Saturday, Hezbollah launched some 55 rockets against northern Israeli communities in what it described as a response to the lethal Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon.

The rockets targeted the area of the Upper Galilee and the city of Safed. No casualties were reported but the impacts in open areas caused at least 10 wildfires in the area.

While Hezbollah officially claims that it mainly targets IDF military sites, part of the large Hezbollah barrage was directed against Ayelet HaShahar, a kibbutz located around 6 miles from the Lebanese border. The rural community has a population of over 1,000 people and has so far not been evacuated. About 60,000 Israelis have been evacuated from northern communities and become displaced due to the ongoing Hezbollah aggression against Israel.

In an earlier attack, an Israeli soldier was seriously wounded and another sustained light injuries after a Hezbollah drone exploded nearby in the area of Misgav Am, the IDF stated.

Shortly after the Hezbollah barrage against northern Israel, an Israeli Air Force (IAF) drone targeted and eliminated Hussein Ibrahim, a commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, while he was driving his motorcycle in the area of Tyre in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah quickly confirmed Ibrahim's death but did not mention his rank or affiliation with the terrorist group’s Radwan unit.

The Radwan Force consists of about 2,500 highly-trained Hezbollah fighters who have received special training in cross-border raids and fighting behind enemy lines.

In December, Israel's Alma Research and Education Center warned that Radwan units were ready to invade northern Israeli communities with short notice.

“Even if the majority of Hezbollah’s elite forces have distanced themselves from the border, there is no change to Hezbollah’s overall readiness,” the Alma report stated.

The rising tensions along the border between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon come amid international efforts in Doha, Qatar, to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage release deal between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas.

For the past two weeks, Hezbollah and the Iranian regime have threatened a “revenge” attack on Israel for the assassination of a top Hezbollah and a top Hamas terrorist in Beirut and Tehran.

While the Iran-Hezbollah attack was believed to be “imminent,” Tehran and its Lebanese terrorist proxy have so far refrained from taking action. One likely reason is the growing U.S. military presence in the region, designed to deter Iran and its proxies from attacking Israel.

In addition, the Iranian regime is likely concerned that an attack against Israel could provoke a large-scale counter-attack against the Tehran regime, including its nuclear sites.

Reports on Friday suggested that Iran and Hezbollah had suspended their promised attack due to a “promising start” to the ceasefire and hostage negotiations in Doha, which began on Thursday.