Hezbollah threatens Israel with retaliatory strikes following deadly drone attack

The attack, which Hezbollah described as part of a "complex operation," killed dozens of Israeli soldiers, marking the deadliest strike on an Israeli base since late September.

In a statement, Hezbollah said the attack was a response to Israel’s ongoing aggression in Lebanon and warned, "What the enemy witnessed today in southern Haifa is nothing compared to what awaits it if it decides to continue its aggression against our people."

Hezbollah reported launching dozens of missiles toward Nahariya and Acre, north of Haifa, with the aim of overwhelming Israeli defense systems. Simultaneously, the group deployed "squadrons of various drones," some of which were used for the first time. These drones reportedly evaded Israeli air defense radars and struck a training camp in Binyamina, south of Haifa. According to Hezbollah, the drones detonated in rooms where Israeli soldiers and officers were present.

In addition to the drone strike on the training camp, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for launching missiles at a "maintenance and rehabilitation base" of the Israeli army, also located south of Haifa.

This latest incident comes amid heightened tensions following Israel's intensified military operations in Lebanon, which began in late September. On Friday, air raid sirens sounded in central Israel after two aerial drones entered the country from Lebanon, damaging a building north of Tel Aviv.

Hezbollah has been regularly launching rockets and drones into Israeli territory for over a year, but its attacks have reached further inside Israel since the escalation of violence last month. Although Israel’s air defense systems, including the Iron Dome, have intercepted most of the projectiles, casualties have been minimal, with few injuries caused by strikes or falling debris.

The escalation has taken a significant toll on Lebanon, with more than 1,300 people killed and over a million displaced, according to official figures.

As both sides brace for further confrontations, the situation remains volatile, with the potential for additional cross-border attacks if a resolution is not reached. (ILKHA)