Northern Israel under heavy Hezbollah fire as troops push deeper into Lebanon

The IDF announced that troops crossed the Litani River and seized control of the Beaufort Ridge and the nearby Wadi al-Saluki area.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Northern Israel came under sustained rocket and drone attacks from Lebanon on Sunday as Israeli forces pushed deeper into southern Lebanon, sending residents repeatedly to shelters while sirens sounded across the Galilee.

Air raid alerts were activated throughout the day in communities across northern Israel as Hezbollah increased its rocket and drone attacks following recent Israeli advances in southern Lebanon.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said several rockets launched from Lebanon were intercepted, while others landed in open areas. No injuries were reported.

An apparent Hezbollah drone struck an Israeli military position in the Western Galilee near the Lebanese border during the afternoon. The military said the incident caused no casualties and remains under investigation. Additional drones launched from Lebanon were intercepted over the Galilee Panhandle.

Residents across northern Israel received repeated warnings on their mobile phones and municipal authorities urged the public to remain vigilant and follow safety instructions.

The attacks came as Israeli troops expanded ground operations in southern Lebanon.

Earlier on Sunday, the IDF announced that troops crossed the Litani River and seized control of the Beaufort Ridge and the nearby Wadi al-Saluki area during a multi-day operation aimed at dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure and eliminating threats to northern Israeli communities.

The Litani River, which lies roughly 30 kilometers north of Israel’s border, has long been regarded by Israeli security planners as a key geographic barrier to Hezbollah activity.

The ridge is best known for a Crusader-era fortress overlooking large sections of southern Lebanon and northern Israel.

The IDF considers the area a key Hezbollah stronghold because of its commanding terrain and strategic value for surveillance and military operations.

Calling the operation “a dramatic stage and a dramatic change in the policy we are leading,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had instructed the military to deepen its operations in areas previously controlled by Hezbollah.

“Tonight, our heroic soldiers captured the Beaufort post,” Netanyahu said. “They proudly raised the flag of the State of Israel and the flag of the Golani Brigade.”

“Our forces crossed the Litani, seized commanding areas and captured the Beaufort ridge,” he said. “Now my directive is to deepen and expand our hold in places that were under Hezbollah’s control.”

“It will take more time, but we will return security to the residents of the north exactly as we did for the residents of the south,” Netanyahu added. “It will take time, but we will complete the mission.”

The Beaufort Ridge holds both symbolic and strategic significance for Israel.

The IDF first captured the mountaintop position during the 1982 First Lebanon War and maintained an outpost there until Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.

The IDF said troops are also operating near Nabatieh, a major Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon, and are prepared to expand the offensive into additional areas.

As operations expanded deeper into southern Lebanon, the military renewed evacuation warnings for civilians in areas where Hezbollah is believed to operate.

“In light of the Hezbollah terror organization’s violation of the ceasefire agreement and its targeting of the Israeli home front, the Israel Defense Forces is compelled to act against it forcefully, particularly in your areas,” Arabic-language military spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee said on X.

“Anyone who is near Hezbollah operatives, its facilities, or its weapons is putting their life at risk. Any building used by Hezbollah for military purposes may become a target,” he warned.