Rockets fired from southern Lebanon were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome in Upper Galilee on Aug. 9, 2024. (Credit: Jalaa Marey/AFP)
While awaiting its response to the assassination of its senior commander Fouad Shukur, who was killed on July 31 in a southern suburb of Beirut by a strike attributed to Israel, Hezbollah continues to test Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system.
Following eight operations claimed on Sunday, the party reported a new attack early Monday, around 2 a.m., targeting the locality of Ga'aton, approximately 10 kilometers from the Lebanese border inside Israeli territory.
In a statement, the pro-Iranian group claimed to have launched "salvos of Katyusha rockets" at a position held by the Israeli army's 146th Division "in response to Israeli aggressions against southern villages, particularly Maaroub," a Lebanese village in the Tyre district that was targeted Sunday evening shortly after 7 p.m. According to the latest report from the Ministry of Health, 12 people were injured in Maaroub — one Lebanese and 11 Syrians — including a five-month-old girl and a woman, who are in critical condition, following an Israeli airstrike on a building.
Iran and Hezbollah's 'imminent response'
Israeli media reported that several projectiles also hit the Nahariya region, located five kilometers west of Ga'aton and in the northern part of Acre. Videos shared on social media, which L'Orient Today could not verify, purportedly show footage of the attack, including missiles being intercepted in the air by Israeli defensive fire or crashing to the ground.
According to Haaretz, "30 rockets were fired at the Nahariya region from Lebanon." The Israeli army stated that some rockets landed in open areas, "causing a few fires but no casualties."
“This was not the promised response by Hezbollah to the assassination of its chief military commander, Fouad Shukur,” stated the Qatari channel Al Jazeera. “What we witnessed last night is essentially what we've seen over the past 10 months: Hezbollah is testing Israel's air defense system, as it has been doing for some time now to identify its weaknesses. (...) However, this attack comes amid heightened tensions, with American and Israeli intelligence sources suggesting that the promised retaliation by Iran and its ally, Hezbollah, is imminent and could happen as early as Monday.”
This is not the first time that this Israeli locality has come under fire from Hezbollah. On Aug. 6, a rocket that fell on a residence injured two people, one of them seriously. However, after an investigation by the Israeli army, cited by Haaretz, it was revealed that this incident was caused by a “missile interceptor” that “missed its target” and “fell to the ground,” not by a direct shot from Hezbollah. This firing by Israel’s Iron Dome followed an attack claimed by Hezbollah, which stated that it had targeted the "Chraga" barracks, presented as the “headquarters of the Golani Brigade and Unit 621 of Egoz,” also located in the northern part of Acre.
407 Hezbollah fighters killed
On Monday morning, Hezbollah claimed a new strike at 8:40 a.m., targeting “espionage equipment” in the town of Metula, which faces the Lebanese village of Khiam (Marjayoun). Additionally, an Israeli airstrike on the town of Kfar Kila (Marjayoun) on Sunday evening around 8:30 p.m. injured three people, according to the Health Ministry.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah announced on Sunday the deaths of three of its fighters, including two killed by an Israeli drone strike targeting a motorcycle in the village of Taybeh in the Marjayoun district. The third fighter succumbed to his injuries after being wounded a week ago in a strike on Beit Lif (Bint Jbeil). This brings the total number of Hezbollah fighters killed since Oct. 8 to 407 in Lebanon and Syria, including 364 in Lebanon alone.
Other cross-border attacks and exchanges of fire occurred on Monday. Israel bombarded the Kounin forest in the Bint Jbeil district with white phosphorus ammunition, according to residents cited by our correspondent, Muntasser Abdallah. Other Israeli attacks targeted several areas, including Sadana, situated between Shebaa and Kfar Shuba.
Monday afternoon, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack on the Israeli Samaka site in the disputed Kfar Shuba hills.
Rumors and denials amid fears of escalation
Since early August, reports have circulated in the media, suggesting that Hezbollah has vacated its offices from the southern suburbs of Beirut. These claims were reported by the Lebanese daily al-Joumhouria and subsequently cited by Haaretz on Monday morning. However, Hezbollah denied these allegations to L'Orient-Le Jour.
The Lebanese army has also refuted a rumor spread by several Lebanese media outlets that joint patrols with UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) had ceased in southern Lebanon. "The army command confirms that military units continue to conduct joint missions with UNIFIL, in close cooperation and coordination, in accordance with U.N. Resolution 1701," the army said in a statement.
This uncertainty has not reassured foreign airlines, which continue to suspend services to Beirut. Air France and its subsidiary Transavia, for example, have extended their suspension of flights to Lebanon until Wednesday, August 14, due to the geopolitical situation.
Israel prepares for defense and attack
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated on Monday that Israel reinforced its defenses in recent days in anticipation of potential attacks from Iran and Hezbollah. Gallant indicated that Israel is also preparing for possible retaliatory strikes or preventive and preemptive actions if necessary, according to remarks quoted by The Times of Israel.
"Threats from Tehran and Beirut can materialize, and it is crucial to understand that preparedness and vigilance do not equate to fear and panic," Gallant said at a Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting. "In recent days, we have focused on strengthening defenses and developing offensive options as a response or initiative if needed, with the primary goal of protecting Israeli citizens," he added.