At Least Two Killed in Hezbollah Rocket Attack on Israeli Arab Town

Latest Developments

Hezbollah fired a barrage of some 30 rockets at northern Israel on October 25, killing two civilians and wounding over a dozen in Majd al-Krum, a primarily Muslim town in the Galilee. The Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist group claimed it had targeted the neighboring city of Karmiel.

Following the attack, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote on X that “Hezbollah’s attack today on Majd al-Krum…again proves that Iran’s proxies kill Jews, Christians, Muslim Arabs, Bedouins Druze, and anyone different from them,” adding that “the world must stop Iran now — before it’s too late.”

Hours earlier, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published the names of five more soldiers killed fighting Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The latest fatalities were all reservists — as are approximately 70 percent of IDF personnel mobilized for war — who served in the 8th Armored Brigade’s 89th Battalion. They were collecting logistics supplies when Hezbollah operatives fired a barrage of rockets towards their meeting point. The rocket fire also wounded 19 Israeli soldiers, four of them seriously. The oldest fatality, 51-year-old Guy Idan, was the cousin of Gaza hostage Tzachi Idan.

Expert Analysis

“Having lost much of its long-range missile arsenal to Israeli air strikes, and its front-line gunners to the more than three-week-old sweep of southern Lebanon by Israel’s ground forces, Hezbollah is resorting to daily short-range rocket attacks. That makes Haifa and the Galilee its main targets — with inevitable casualties among the many Arab residents of these regions. In tragedy, the pluralism of the Jewish state is on display — as well as the bloody-mindedness of its enemies.” — Mark Dubowitz, FDD CEO

“The spate of attacks that Israel launched against Hezbollah in rapid succession beginning on September 17 have certainly put the group on its back foot and perhaps crippled its ability to deploy its maximum strength. But Hezbollah’s continued attacks prove that talk of the group’s demise is premature. The Israelis must press on with their campaign to minimize the chances of Hezbollah’s post-war regeneration.” — David Daoud, FDD Senior Fellow

“The shock effect of Israel’s rolling counter-offensive against Hezbollah since September 17 led many of the terrorist group’s southern personnel to flee, leaving abundant weaponry behind, well before IDF troops entered Lebanon two weeks later. But now some Hezbollah fighters are mounting ambushes, with a heavy toll. The Israelis must keep up the momentum, whether by assaulting Hezbollah emplacement by emplacement or by redeploying to avoid troops becoming static targets.” — Natalie Ecanow, FDD Research Analyst

“Hezbollah’s terrorism knows no bounds of creed, ethnicity, or nationality. This is not the first time Majd al-Krum has been in Hezbollah’s crosshairs. During the 2006 war, two residents of the town were killed. We all recall the horrific scenes in Majdal Shams this past July, where 12 Druze children were tragically killed while playing soccer — today’s barrage stands yet as another reminder of Hezbollah’s indiscriminate targeting of Israelis, regardless of their identity.” — Ahmad Sharawi, FDD Research Analyst

Related Analysis

“Hezbollah Attacks Tel Aviv Twice on Eve of Jewish Holiday,” FDD Flash Brief

“Gaza War Boosts Solidarity Between Israeli Arabs and Jews,” FDD Flash Brief

“Israel Is Hurting Hezbollah. But It Can’t Rely on Lebanon to Finish the Job,” by David Daoud and Ahmad Sharawi

“Road to the Third Lebanon War: Mapping Hezbollah’s War of Attrition Since October 8, 2023,” by David Daoud and Ahmad Sharawi