Widespread Rocket and Drone Attacks by Hezbollah on Northern Israel for the Second Consecutive Day

The Israeli army announced that on Thursday, June 14, air raid sirens sounded across cities in the northern part of the country, and about 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory in the afternoon. Reuters reported, citing a security source, that Hezbollah carried out the largest drone attack on Israel since the current Gaza war began. The Israeli state television channel Kan broadcast images of multiple interceptions of rockets in the air over Israeli cities, including Safed, about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the Israel-Lebanon border. Israeli emergency services also reported that two people were injured by shrapnel and that fires broke out in open areas due to rocket impacts. The Israeli army stated, "Multiple launches were successfully intercepted." The military added that five "suspicious aerial targets," presumably referring to drones, were identified, three of which were intercepted. Meanwhile, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group announced on Thursday that in a coordinated attack, it fired missiles and combat drones at nine Israeli military bases. These attacks have escalated hostilities at the southern Lebanon border for the second consecutive day. The attacks were in retaliation for an Israeli strike on Tuesday that killed a senior Hezbollah field commander. In response to the killing of one of its senior commanders, Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets into Israel. The group stated in a statement that it launched Katyusha and Fajr missiles at six Israeli military locations. Al-Manar television reported that over a hundred rockets were fired simultaneously. Hezbollah is recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States. The group opened a second front against Israel in the north immediately after the extremist Hamas group's attack on southern Israel on October 7 of last year. Hamas is also on the terrorist lists of the U.S. and the European Union. Since then, the Israel-Lebanon border has witnessed increasing attacks on both sides. Violence this week intensified with more rocket fire from Hezbollah in retaliation for the Israeli attack and the killing of one of its senior field commanders. The United States expressed concern on Thursday that the fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border could escalate into a full-scale war. A senior U.S. official stated that specific security arrangements are needed for the region and that a ceasefire in Gaza is not sufficient. On Wednesday, Hezbollah also broke a new record for rocket launches toward Israel in a single day. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Wednesday in Doha that the best action to strengthen a diplomatic solution in northern Israel is to resolve the Gaza conflict.