Hezbollah launches 200 rockets and drones at Israel; retaliatory strikes begin
Lebanese Hezbollah announced that it launched more than 200 rockets of various types towards Israeli military bases in northern Israel on the Golan Heights. The Times of Israel adds that the attack also involved a "squadron of explosive drones." In retaliation, Israel began bombing southern Lebanon.
6:46 AM EDT, July 4, 2024
In official statements, Hezbollah claims to have launched 200 rockets and a swarm of drones filled with explosives towards several Israeli military bases in northern Israel.
Hezbollah attacks
According to the Times of Israel, the attacks are a response to the killing of senior commander Muhammad Nasser in an Israeli airstrike that occurred on Wednesday. Nasser commanded one of Hezbollah's three regional divisions in southern Lebanon.
Israeli emergency services Magen David Adom reported that they assisted two people who sustained minor injuries after falling while running to a shelter during the attack.
Israel begins airstrikes on southern Lebanon
Shortly after, the Israel Defense Forces announced that they are starting a wave of airstrikes on southern Lebanon in response to the Hezbollah attack.
The military reported that "several rocket launchers have been hit so far."
The Israeli Defense Forces did not specify the number of rockets and drones launched by Hezbollah but confirmed that air defenses and fighter jets shot down several projectiles. In several places, fires broke out as a result of falling debris from shot-down rockets and drones.
