A Hezbollah drone strike on an Israeli military base in central Israel killed four soldiers and left seven others critically injured on Sunday, according to the Israeli military. This marks the deadliest attack by the group since Israel's ground offensive in Lebanon began nearly two weeks ago.
Hezbollah stated that the attack, which occurred near Binyamina, was in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes on Beirut last Thursday, which killed 22 people. The group claimed it had targeted Israel's elite Golani brigade and launched numerous missiles to engage Israel's air defence systems, while drone “squadrons” carried out the assault.
Israel’s national rescue service reported 61 people injured in the incident. Such a high casualty count is unusual given Israel’s advanced air-defense capabilities. Tensions between Hezbollah and Israel have been escalating, with regular exchanges of fire, since the Gaza war began a year ago.
The attack came shortly after the US announced it would send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) missile system to Israel, along with around 100 troops. This deepens US involvement in the region, with the last deployment of such a system occurring after Hamas’ attacks on Israel in October of last year. The THAAD system was previously deployed to southern Israel for drills in 2019.
US President Joe Biden stated the decision to send the defence system was made “to defend Israel” as tensions rise, particularly after Iran fired over 180 missiles at Israel on October 1. The USmilitary described this deployment as part of a broader strategic adjustment to support Israel and protect U.S. personnel from attacks by Iran and its affiliated groups.
On Monday, Hezbollah issued another threat, warning Israel of more attacks if its offensive in Lebanon continues. The group described the Binyamina strike as a “complex operation,” involving the launch of dozens of missiles towards Nahariya and Acre, aimed at overwhelming Israel's defense systems.
Simultaneously, drone squadrons, including some previously unseen models, bypassed Israeli air defenses and struck the Binyamina training camp, causing significant casualties.
Meanwhile, in Lebanon, UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned attacks that injured UN peacekeepers after Israeli tanks reportedly destroyed a gate and forcibly entered a UN base in southern Lebanon. UN peacekeepers, according to spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, remain stationed at all positions under the UN flag.
