Rocket fire from Lebanon kills 5 in deadliest attack on northern Israel since invasion

Rocket fire from Lebanon killed five people in northern Israel. File
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Rocket fire from Lebanon resulted in the deaths of five individuals in northern Israel on Thursday (October 31, 2024), including four foreign workers, marking the deadliest attack since Israel’s recent invasion. The incident occurred amidst the presence of senior U.S. diplomats in the region, striving to negotiate cease-fires in Lebanon and Gaza in an attempt to bring the conflicts in the Middle East to a resolution during the final months of the Biden administration.

Hezbollah, a militant group, has been launching rockets, drones, and missiles into Israel, provoking retaliatory responses since the war in Gaza was initiated by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Hezbollah and Hamas, both supported by Iran, have formed an alliance.

The conflict along the border escalated into a full-scale war following Israel’s extensive airstrikes in Lebanon, resulting in the death of Hezbollah’s top leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and several of his deputies. Israeli ground forces also entered Lebanon in early October.

The Metula regional council confirmed the attack on Thursday without specifying the number or type of projectiles used. The nationalities of the deceased workers were not immediately disclosed.

Metula, the northernmost town in Israel surrounded by Lebanon on three sides, has endured significant damage from rocket attacks. The town’s residents evacuated in October 2023, leaving only security personnel and agricultural workers behind.

The Hotline for Refugees and Migrants criticized the authorities for putting foreign workers at risk by allowing them to work along the border without adequate protection.

Hezbollah’s new leader, Sheikh Naim Kassem, declared in a video statement that the militant group will continue to confront Israel until acceptable cease-fire terms are presented. He emphasized the group’s resilience despite setbacks, attributing recent attacks to Israel.

Israel issued warnings for evacuations in southern Lebanon due to ongoing airstrikes that resulted in the death of eight individuals, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.

Mass evacuations have been taking place in various parts of Lebanon, including major cities, following Israeli warnings and airstrikes, displacing around 1.2 million people since September.

Significant numbers of individuals have fled Baalbek, the primary city in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley, and its surrounding areas in response to Israeli warnings and aerial bombings.