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Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets at a key base of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on January 6 in what it called “an initial response” to the recent assassination of Saleh al-Arouri, deputy leader of the Palestinian Hamas Movement, in Lebanon.
The base, which is located on top of Mount Meron -the highest peak in Israel-, is used for aerial control, command and surveillance, Hezbollah said in a statement, noting that the base is one of two “irreplaceable” facilities of the IDF, with the other one located in southern Israel near the settlement of Mitzpe Ramon.
According to Hezbollah, the key base was targeted with 62 rockets of different types as “an initial response” to the assassination of al-Arouri.
The IDF said shortly after the attack that some 40 rockets were fired from southern Lebanon at the Mount Meron area of northern Israel. Despite the widespread sirens in the north, no drones or rockets were fired at any other areas there, it added.
There are no reports of injuries in the rocket barrage. The IDF said that it struck a cell that was responsible for some of the rocket launches.
Al-Arouri was killed along with six other members of Hamas, including two commanders of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, in an airstrike that targeted the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, a stronghold of Hezbollah, on January 2. Both Hamas and Hezbollah held Israel responsible for the assassination and vowed to respond.
The assassination of the Palestinian leader was seen as a major escalation by Israel, esically that it came amid attempts by the United States to de-escalate tension on the Lebanese-Israeli border.
Hezbollah and its allies, including Hamas, have been clashing with the IDF along the border since the war in the Gaza Strip first broke out.
So far, the border clashes have resulted in four civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of nine IDF soldiers. On the Lebanese side, more than 180 have been killed. The toll includes 138 Hezbollah fighters, 14 of whom were killed in Syria, 25 Palestinians, a Lebanese soldier, at least 19 civilians and three journalists.
