October 2024

The last 24 hours have seen Hezbollah launch massive missile strikes on Israel’s major northern port city of Haifa. The rockets have rained down on Haifa since Sunday, and launches have continued into Monday.

Widely circulating social media videos have confirmed a series of direct ground strikes. BBC has said in a Monday update that at least five rockets have been recently launched, inuring eight people and causing damage in Haifa. Dozens more have been sent.

Israel’s military has admitted that its much-touted air defenses have been failing in the north, and says it is investigating as a result. 

Hezbollah has since said it is targeting military bases near Haifa, but local reports say a restaurant was among the places to be directly struck, resulting in significant damage.

Jerusalem Post writes that “a restaurant in Haifa had reportedly suffered a direct hit as approximately 20 rockets were identified crossing from Lebanese territory.”

“Among those evacuated for medical treatment, a 13-year-old was reportedly lightly wounded, while two others were moderately wounded from broken glass,” the report details. “Three people sustained light injuries from broken glass, two were lightly injured while heading to a protected area, and one person was treated for anxiety.”

And separately another local media report cites damage in the middle of the city: “Footage captured in Haifa, however, appeared to show heavy damage at a traffic circle struck by a rocket, while other videos showed smoke rising above apartments during the barrage.”

Watch: most significant strikes on Haifa since war’s start…

⚡️Hezbollah conducts strikes in Israeli city of Haifa pic.twitter.com/u4o7kemWvg

— RT (@RT_com) October 6, 2024

On Sunday alone a total of some 120 rockets were fired by Hezbollah into northern Israel. By all accounts these projectiles have been reaching further and further into Israel, since the start of the IDF bombing campaign over southern Beirut.

Injuries have also been reported from the town of Tiberias. It has become clear that thus far Israel’s ground offensive in south Lebanon and bombing of Beirut has not stopped Hezbollah rockets from reaching deep into the north.

Among Israel’s chief goals for the Lebanon offensive is to push Hezbollah back dozens of kilometers, to create a buffer zone which will allow Israeli residents of the north to return to their homes.

Al Arabiya confirmed footage which captured the Hezbollah hit on a Haifa restaurant…

مقاطع فيديو تظهر إصابة مباشرة لأحد المطاعم في #حيفا بعد الصواريخ التي أطلقها حزب الله من جنوب #لبنان#قناة_العربية pic.twitter.com/WuBlmBIbcf

— العربية (@AlArabiya) October 7, 2024

Israel’s aerial bombardment of Beirut has remained steady, with jets on Sunday night targeting buildings said to belong to Hezbollah’s intelligence division in Beirut, or places deemed command centers, according to Israeli statements.

Apparent weapons depot in the middle of the Lebanese capital blown up:

BREAKING:

HUGE new explosion as Israeli airstrikes hit another Hezbollah weapons depot in Beirut.

Why would you store these rockets and explosives among civilian homes in your capital city?

Many Lebanese people living in Beirut must be furious with Hezbollah. pic.twitter.com/pvfzqEwRc0

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) October 6, 2024

Images showed an a strike on an apparent Hezbollah weapons depot, releasing huge and sustained fireballs and secondary explosions. The IDF on Monday warned that the Israeli Navy will soon begin to operate against Hezbollah from the sea.