Israeli security forces at the scene where a house was hit by an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon in Metula near the Israeli-Lebanese border, May 25, 2026. (Photo by Ayal Margolin/Flash90)
Military officials said more than 70 Hezbollah infrastructure sites were hit on Monday, including command centers, weapons depots, and other operational facilities.
By Pesach Benson, TPS
Northern Israeli communities are bracing for intensified fighting on Tuesday after local leaders ordered schools and kindergartens closed amid a sharp rise in Hezbollah drone attacks from Lebanon.
Children in several border communities remained home Tuesday as municipalities independently suspended classes and shifted students to distance learning, despite no formal directive from the Israel Defense Forces Home Front Command.
National parks and nature reserves in northern Israel were also closed under updated security measures.
The heightened alert came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to escalate military operations against Hezbollah following a series of deadly and damaging drone attacks.
“Israel will intensify its operations in Lebanon,” Netanyahu said on Monday after an unmanned aerial vehicle struck a home in the border town of Metula and another explosive drone damaged a school bus stop in the village of Shomera.
On Sunday, an Israeli soldier was killed in a Hezbollah suicide drone attack, the latest in a growing number of casualties caused by the group’s expanding drone campaign.
Shortly after Netanyahu’s remarks, the IDF confirmed it had launched a new wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in eastern and southern Lebanon.
Military officials said more than 70 Hezbollah infrastructure sites were hit on Monday, including command centers, weapons depots, and other operational facilities.
The Home Front Command tightened civilian defense restrictions along the Lebanese border late Monday.
Public gatherings are now limited to 50 people outdoors and 200 indoors, down from previous caps of 200 and 600, respectively.
The measures took effect Tuesday morning and are scheduled to remain in place through the evening.
A senior U.S. official indicated Monday that Washington may soon approve a broader Israeli military operation against Hezbollah, saying the Iranian-backed terror group had ignored repeated warnings to halt attacks on Israel.
Since a U.S.-mediated ceasefire took effect on April 17, Hezbollah has launched more than 1,000 drones and 700 rockets at Israel.
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