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Hezbollah tries to down Israeli fighter jets over Lebanon

The incident marks the first time since the start of the war some eight months ago that the Iranian terror proxy has attempted to bring down IDF jets.

By JNS

Hezbollah terrorists in Southern Lebanon launched anti-aircraft missiles at Israeli fighter jets on Sunday, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

“A terrorist cell fired anti-aircraft missiles toward IDF fighter jets operating above Lebanon. No danger was posed to the fighter jets and no injuries were reported. A few minutes later, an IAF aircraft struck and eliminated the terrorist cell that carried out the launches in the area of Tyre,” the military reported.

The incident marks the first time since the start of the war some eight months ago that the Iranian terror proxy has attempted to bring down IDF jets, and comes as Hezbollah has been ratcheting up its attacks against northern Israel in recent weeks.

The IAF struck multiple Hezbollah terror targets throughout Southern Lebanon on Sunday, including in the areas of Chebaa, Aitaroun, Markaba, At Tiri and Houla.

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Overnight Sunday, air-raid sirens were sounded in Acre in northwestern Israel, as well as in Kiryat Bialik, near Haifa.

The sirens were triggered due to fear of falling interceptor fragments, after Israeli air defense systems attempted to intercept a “suspicious aerial target” that had crossed into Israel from Lebanon. The incident was later declared to have been due to a “false identification.”

Gallant holds situation assessment at northern border

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited Israel’s northern border area with senior IDF officials on Sunday, where he held an operational assessment.

“Minister Gallant was briefed on recent developments in the arena and discussed efforts to thwart UAV attacks conducted by Hezbollah. Minister Gallant emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to eliminate Hezbollah terrorists and terror targets,” his office said.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, left, during a tour of the northern Israeli border region on June 9, 2024. Photo by Shachar Yurman/IMoD.

IDF Home Front Command ‘ready’ for war with Hezbollah

The Israel Defense Forces Home Front Command is prepared for a full-out war with Hezbollah terrorists on the Jewish state’s northern border with Lebanon, commander Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo reiterated on Sunday.

“If the IDF needs to go to war in the north, we are ready. We have made great efforts to achieve this in recent months,” the Home Front Command head stated at the MuniWorld Conference in Tel Aviv.

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“On Oct. 7, we did not manage to protect the [Gaza] Envelope towns, and now there is a major crisis of confidence in the army,” said Milo.

Meanwhile, Moshe Davidovich, who heads the Mateh Asher Regional Council in the western Galilee, told the conference that border towns are “neither prepared nor protected” if the conflict expands.

“The Israeli government has failed in all matters of preparedness regarding the defense of the conflict line [with Lebanon],” he charged.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization has attacked northern Israel nearly every day since joining the war in support of Hamas on Oct. 8, killing more than 20 people and causing widespread damage. Tens of thousands of Israelis remain internally displaced due to the violence.

Air-raid sirens sounded in towns on the northern border throughout the day on Sunday, warning of incoming rockets and drones.

At least 10 rockets were launched towards Israeli towns in the Galilee panhandle and the northern Golan Heights. Several rockets exploded in open areas, setting fields ablaze, but no casualties were reported.

Hezbollah took responsibility for the attacks, announcing in a statement it had fired Katyusha rockets at Israeli “military positions” in the Golan Heights, including an alleged IDF post in the Mount Dov area.

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In addition, at least two suicide drones managed to penetrate Israeli air defenses, exploding in an open area in the northern Golan. There were no injuries, and the IDF is investigating the incident, local reports said.

The drone attack was said to have sparked a fire which quickly spread. Multiple units of Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services were reportedly called to the scene to stop the fire from reaching nearby civilian communities.

Members of an emergency squad try to extinguish a fire caused by rockets fired from Lebanon, near the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, June 4, 2024. Photo by Ayal Margolin/Flash90.

On Saturday, Hezbollah fired a salvo of Iranian “Falaq 2” rockets at an IDF command center in northern Israel, marking the first time the terror group had deployed the projectile, a “security source” told Reuters.

In response, the Israeli Air Force hit terror infrastructure in Southern Lebanon, including in Aitaroun and Rab El Thalathine. On Sunday morning, fighter jets also targeted a rocket launcher in the Houla area.

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Jewish state is “prepared for very intense action in the north” to restore security” and return displaced citizens to their homes near the border.

“We said at the start of the war that we would restore security in both the south and the north, and this is what we are doing,” the premier said after earlier being briefed by commanders at the IDF’s Gibor base.