Hezbollah escalates its attacks and bombs the Nazareth area for the first time, and the occupation launches 50 raids in southern Lebanon

Hezbollah escalated its attacks and launched dozens of missiles targeting new sites for the first time, while the Israeli occupation army intensified its raids on southern Lebanon during the past hours.

Israeli media reported that sirens were heard tonight (between Saturday and Sunday) deep inside Israel, in the Nazareth and Marouj areas, and that the sounds of explosions in Haifa, Nazareth and Afula were heard for the first time since 2006, as Hezbollah fired long-range missiles towards Israel.

The Hebrew website i24NEWS continued that the Israeli army spokesman announced that “air raid sirens were sounded in areas in the north,” and that “the details are under examination.”

For its part, the Lebanese Hezbollah said that it targeted “the Ramat David base and airport, southeast of Haifa, with dozens of Fadi 1 and Fadi 2 missiles.”

Hezbollah said in a statement early Sunday that “the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon announces targeting the Ramat David base and airport, in response to the repeated Israeli attacks that targeted various Lebanese regions, which led to the fall of many civilian martyrs.”

🔴 Press sources: Scenes showing fires near the Ramat David Air Base in Marj Ibn Amer, northern occupied Palestine, as a result of missiles fired by Hezbollah. #Hezbollah #Israeli_occupation pic.twitter.com/UXi0hxhUMf

— Sa7at - Urgent 🇵🇸 (@Sa7atPlBreaking) September 21, 2024

This is the first time these two types of missiles have been used, and it is also the first time the party has targeted the Ramat David base and airport during the ongoing conflict.

Axios news website confirmed that Hezbollah's attack tonight is the farthest in Israel since October 8, and that "things could easily get out of control and lead to a full-scale war."

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation confirmed that a rocket fell near the Ramat David Air Base, southeast of Haifa. The Israeli army said that it is now targeting areas in Lebanon following the barrages.

⚡️🚨 Urgent 🚨⚡️

Nazareth city now... pic.twitter.com/V56RrpdRSQ

— Roaastudies for War Studies (@Roaastudies) September 21, 2024

About 50 Israeli raids on southern Lebanon

Hezbollah's attacks came after a violent attack by the occupation army, and the official Lebanese news agency announced on Saturday that more than 50 Israeli raids had been recorded on a number of southern villages in less than 40 minutes.

The agency said that the Israeli warplanes "launched a wide-scale air aggression with a series of successive raids, mainly targeting hills, valleys and riverbeds."

She added that these raids included "the valley between Ansar and Al-Zarariyeh, the riverbed extending from Yahmar Al-Shaqif and Al-Zawtrin Al-Sharqiya and Al-Zawtrin Al-Sharqiya, and Wadi Rumin - Deir Al-Zahrani."

As well as “the outskirts of the towns of Louaizeh, Mleikh, Barti, and Kfar Melki, the heights of Bal al-Rayhan, the Basalia area in the Iqlim al-Tuffah region, the Jarmoq region, the area between Froun and al-Ghandouriyah, and the course of the al-Tasa spring in the Iqlim al-Tuffah region.”

The second wave of bombing is now targeting southern Lebanon, after more than 100 raids this morning.
An Israeli security source stated that the army had taken a decision to expand and intensify the bombing.
The Israeli occupation does not want to leave any options for Hezbollah. It has crossed all red lines and rules of engagement, pretending not to worry about a large-scale war,… pic.twitter.com/4FWSpbTZrl

— Tamer | Tamer (@tamerqdh) September 21, 2024

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation army announced that it had bombed new Hezbollah targets on Saturday evening, after it had previously reported bombing thousands of rocket launchers and other targets. A statement said that the army was “currently bombing targets of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in Lebanon,” without further details.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority said that the current attack on Lebanon comes after Hezbollah movements were monitored to launch a wide wave of missiles.

Beaches closed and gatherings restricted

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began an emergency meeting on Saturday evening to assess the security situation with the ministers of the Security Cabinet and senior officials in the security establishment.

On Saturday, the Israeli army issued new instructions to the home front in the northern areas, including closing beaches and imposing restrictions on gatherings and educational activities.

These measures come amid a major escalation by the Israeli army against Lebanon and Hezbollah this week, and regional fears that the situation could develop into a full-scale war.

Army spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a statement that it was decided to make changes to the Home Front Command's defense policy in the Lower Galilee, Upper Galilee, Central Galilee, and some settlements in Golan Darom in northern Israel.

Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper indicated that the area identified by Hagari extends from the city of Haifa to the border with Lebanon.

Hagari explained that these changes include instructions to the Home Front Command in that area, including limiting gatherings to a maximum of 30 people in open spaces, and 300 people in closed buildings. He added that educational activities can be held in locations that allow access to protected spaces.

During the hours of Saturday, the Israeli army and Hezbollah launched intensive and mutual shelling in a noticeable escalation that came after statements by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant on Thursday evening, in which he announced that the war with Hezbollah had entered a “new phase.”

The most prominent features of this escalation were the bombings of communications devices across Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday, which left 37 martyrs and more than 3,250 wounded, in addition to the escalation of air raids on southern Lebanon and other towns in the interior, and finally the targeting of the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday.

On Friday, Hezbollah confirmed in a statement the assassination of military commander Ibrahim Aqil in an attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut. On Saturday, the Lebanese Ministry of Health announced that the number of martyrs in the attack on the southern suburb had risen to 37, including children and women, in addition to 68 wounded.

(Agencies)