Massive rocket attack on Kiryat Shmona – ‘Hezbollah aggression nearing critical point’

Hezbollah’s continued attacks on Israel are pushing the country toward a decision to take military action in Lebanon, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told the U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein during an intense day of skirmishes on Israel’s northern border on Tuesday.

Iron dome anti-missile system fires interception missiles as rockets fired from Lebanon to Kiryat Shmona, March 5, 2024 (Photo: Ayal Margolin/Flash90).

A massive rocket salvo of some 30 rockets was fired at the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona on Tuesday evening, one of the largest among the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah’s near-daily attacks on Israel since last October.

At least 10 of the rockets were intercepted by the IDF’s aerial defense systems, with one striking the yard of a home in a nearby village and the rest falling in open areas, according to the IDF.

The home in Kfar Blum suffered minor damage but no injuries were reported, according to local authorities.

Hochstein is in the region to continue efforts to reach a negotiated agreement to prevent a full escalation between Israel and Hezbollah. During a meeting in Beirut on Monday, he warned that a war between them would not be containable.

“We are committed to the diplomatic process,” Gallant told the U.S. envoy. “However, Hezbollah’s aggression is bringing us closer to a critical point in the decision-making regarding our military activities in Lebanon.”

Gallant also warned Hochstein that Hezbollah was “dragging the parties to a dangerous escalation,” according to a statement.

The heavy barrage fired on Kiryat Shmona was the high point of an intense day of fighting on Israel’s northern border, with Hezbollah claiming responsibility for at least eight attacks.

The 30-rocket barrage was the second attack at the area of Kiryat Shmona on Tuesday after an earlier, smaller rocket salvo caused some damage to a house and a shop in the city.

Another attack on Tuesday evening destroyed a large chicken coop in the town of Avivim, causing major damage but no injuries to humans.

Hezbollah claimed that the 30-rocket barrage was a response to earlier Israeli attacks in the area of Hula, which were initially reported to have killed three civilians. The terror group later identified them as three of its members.

The IDF announced later on Tuesday evening that fighter jets within an hour struck the launch site of the attack on Kiryat Shmona in the area of a-Tayba and another missile launch site in Arab al-Loyza, that had been used in attacks on Kiryat Shmona in recent weeks.

Earlier in the day, Israeli jets struck Hezbollah terror infrastructure in Dabin and Ayta al-Sha’ab and carried out a large wave of strikes against six sites in southern Lebanon that were used in attacks on Israeli targets lately.

One of the targets was a military site in the Ayta al-Sha’ab area, from which two anti-tank missiles were launched toward the Biranit area on Tuesday.

In addition, Hezbollah’s operational headquarters in the Jabal al-Batam area, launch positions in the al-Matmura area, and military buildings in the Majdal Zoun, Hula, and Kafra areas were struck.

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