‘Operation Northern Arrows’: IDF hits over 1,600 Hezbollah targets in 24 hours of uninterrupted bombardment

In an unprecedented display of aerial power, the Israeli Air Force struck over 1,600 Hezbollah targets across Lebanon in almost uninterrupted waves of airstrikes that began on Monday morning and continued into Tuesday.

According to Lebanese reports, nearly 500 people were killed and more than 1,645 injured, in what a Lebanese official called on Monday “the deadliest day in the country since the end of the civil war in 1989.”

Lebanese media claimed 35 children and 58 women to be among the victims, without stating how many of the casualties were operatives of Hezbollah or another terror group.

בשעות האחרונות מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר בהכוונת פיקוד הצפון ואגף המודיעין, תקפו מאות מטרות, בהן משגרים, מפקדות ומבנים צבאיים של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במספר מרחבים בלבנון>> pic.twitter.com/kSDwQkouIM

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) September 23, 2024

After the IDF warned Lebanese civilians to evacuate any homes used to store Hezbollah weapons, hundreds of Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets took to the air, hitting Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon, including the cities of Tyre and Sidon, and the Bekaa Valley in the northeastern part of the country.

Apart from an unsuccessful attempt to eliminate Hezbollah commander Ali Karaki, the IDF so far hasn’t struck the capital of Beirut, where the terror group has its headquarters in the southern Dahiyeh Cistrict.

“The action of the IDF in the last day demonstrates high and precise planning and execution capabilities, and they have led to many achievements,” IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari said on Monday evening.

The army later announced that the broader operation against Hezbollah in the north had been dubbed, "Operation Northern Arrows."

צה"ל תקף את חוליית המחבלים שירתה לעבר מרחב עפולה והעמקים במהלך הלילה ותקף את המשגרים>> pic.twitter.com/anSNgXK9Do

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) September 24, 2024

“As part of the attacks, we attacked cruise missiles reaching a range of hundreds of kilometers, heavy rockets, lethal rockets with a warhead of about 1,000 kilograms, short-range rockets, unmanned and armed drones of the ‘Tziyad 107’ type.”

“These are strategic armament capabilities of the terrorist organization Hezbollah which it placed in the heart of the villages, in civilian homes and from there, intended to launch them and harm the citizens of the State of Israel, while at the same time endangering the residents of Lebanon,” Hagari said.

Army Radio’s military correspondent Doron Kadosh commented: “The IDF damaged these capabilities – but still did not completely destroy them. Hezbollah certainly still has very large-scale rocket firing capabilities of all the listed types.”

“There are still capabilities that Israel avoids damaging: precision-guided missiles, long-range missiles, and more,” he added.

In addition, the army said it struck rocket launch squads and the launchers they used to fire on the area of Afula and the Jezreel Valley overnight.

Tuesday around noon, the IDF announced the completion of the second wave of strikes that day.

"The Air Force attacked terror targets of Hezbollah in the Bekaa, deep in Lebanon, and in other areas in southern Lebanon, including buildings where weapons were stored, headquarters and other military infrastructure. During the attacks, secondary explosions were clearly visible, indicating that many weapons were stored in the buildings," the army said.

On Monday evening, the IDF attempted to eliminate Ali Karaki, the last veteran military leader remaining in Hezbollah’s high command.

Some hours after the strike in Beirut, Hezbollah announced he had survived and was transferred to a secure location.

According to Army Radio, Israeli security sources believe Karaki was wounded in the attack but survived.

Unlike in the recent strike on a meeting of Radwan Unit commanders, this time the IDF used small munitions and didn’t collapse the entire building, apparently enabling Karaki to survive.