One Killed and Eight Wounded in Hezbollah Attack on Northern Israel

Latest Developments

Rockets believed to have been fired by Hezbollah in Lebanon on February 14 killed one female Israeli soldier and wounded eight people. The barrage of 11 Grad rockets struck near Safed, a city in northern Israel, and targeted other communities. Israel responded by conducting what the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) called “widespread” airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, killing four people. Later, the IDF announced that the victim was 20-year-old Staff Sgt. Omer Sarah Benjo, of Ge’a, a small town just north of Gaza.

The Iran-backed terrorist group has launched thousands of rockets toward Israel since October 8, when it began attacking the Jewish state in the wake of Hamas’s October 7 massacre. Israel evacuated more than 80,000 people from border communities in October. However, Safed is not one of the evacuated communities.

Expert Analysis

“Hezbollah’s attack on Safed represents a serious escalation by the Iranian-backed terrorist group. It continues to attack Israel daily and believes it enjoys impunity in these attacks. Hezbollah has openly threatened to prevent more than 80,000 Israelis from returning to their homes. The murder of a woman and injuries to eight people in Safed on February 14 illustrate that Hezbollah is not deterred from its continued attacks.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow

“The strike on Safed highlights the risk posed by the ongoing conflict on the Israel-Lebanon border. A single deadly incident triggered by a Hezbollah rocket attack could escalate into a full-blown war. Despite past comments by Hezbollah leaders that the group is not seeking war with Israel, its actions tell otherwise.”  — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

Hezbollah Vows That It Won’t Stop Attacks on Israel

On February 13, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said that his group would continue to attack Israel until the fighting in Gaza ends. He also claimed that Israelis who had been evacuated from the north would not be able to return home due to the threats from Hezbollah. Hezbollah and the Lebanese government have spurned attempts to de-escalate and end the Hezbollah attacks.

Hezbollah Escalates With Attacks on Safed

The rocket fire targeting Safed is an escalation by Hezbollah, which has usually targeted communities closer to the Israel-Lebanon border. In January, Hezbollah targeted the IDF Northern Command Headquarters in Safed and an IDF base on Mount Meron. Reports indicated that rocket fire on February 14 targeted the Northern Command base in Safed again. The killing and wounding of civilians in Safed represents an escalation by Hezbollah and comes a day after Hezbollah rocket fire seriously injured a mother and her son in the northern city of Kiryat Shmona.

Related Analysis

“Hezbollah Rocket Fire Wounds Two in Northern Israel,” FDD Flash Brief

“Israeli Airstrikes Target Hezbollah Forces in Southern Lebanon,” FDD Flash Brief

“France Proposes Lebanon Border Deal,” FDD Flash Brief