Hezbollah Rocket and Anti-Tank Missiles Target Northern Israel

Latest Developments

Hezbollah targeted northern Israel with anti-tank missiles on February 22. “An anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon Thursday morning struck a private home in Yuval, a village in the Upper Galilee,” Israel’s Yediot reported. A second anti-tank missile struck an open area near Kiryat Shmona, a city in northern Israel. There were no injuries reported in the attacks, and Israel responded with artillery fire. Tensions with Hezbollah have increased in recent weeks as the Iranian-backed terrorist group continues to carry out rocket and drone attacks on Israel. Israel evacuated communities along the border with Lebanon in October.

Expert Analysis

“Hezbollah continues to threaten communities in northern Israel. The Iranian-backed terrorist group carries out daily attacks using rockets, anti-tank missiles, and drones. Hezbollah has also threatened to escalate attacks. The terrorist group must be deterred, and Israel should be supported in its efforts to have Hezbollah members removed from the border so that they can no longer pose an immediate threat to Israeli civilians.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow

“Hezbollah’s proximity to the border allows it to target Israeli communities and military posts with potentially devastating effects. This threat has prompted Israel to urge the Lebanese government and the international community to remove Hezbollah from the border. If diplomatic efforts fail, Israel has threatened it will remove Hezbollah from the border area on its own militarily.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

Hezbollah Claims Responsibility for 12 Recent Attacks on Israel

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a dozen attacks on Israel on February 21. Sirens sounded in northern Israeli communities along the Lebanese border, indicating threats from Lebanon. An anti-tank missile struck a winery in the Israeli community of Avivim near the Lebanese border. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out retaliatory strikes on Hezbollah sites in Lebanon. Israel’s targets included “terrorist infrastructure, an observation post in the area of Khiam, and a military post in the area of Zibqin from which launches toward the area of Shlomi in northern Israel were carried out earlier today,” the IDF said.

On February 22, Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem claimed, according to pro-government media in Iran, that Hezbollah’s attacks could become more “intense” in response to what he asserted was Israeli “aggression.” His comments follow threats on February 19 by a Hezbollah official that the terror group’s rockets can reach all of Israel.

Related Analysis

“Hezbollah Official: Our Missiles Can Reach All of Israel,” FDD Flash Brief

“At Least Two Reported Killed in Alleged Israeli Airstrike in Damascus,” FDD Flash Brief

“Israel Strikes Hezbollah Weapons Caches in Lebanon,” FDD Flash Brief