A series of sirens which began at 10:00 a.m. Thursday morning has continued nearly incessantly for over an hour and a half, as Hezbollah launches dozens of UAVs and rockets toward Israeli territory.
The launches are aimed at various locations in northern Israel, and included rockets which crossed into Israel, in addition to the UAVs.
One man of about 20 suffered severe injuries in barrage, which Hezbollah claimed included over 200 rockets and about 20 UAVs.
Though the rockets fell in open areas, shrapnel from an interception fell in an Akko (Acre) mall.
Firefighters are now working together with the Nature and Parks Authority to extinguish the fires which broke out following the launches.
It is believed that the launches were a response to the elimination of a top Hezbollah terrorist on Wednesday.
The IDF confirmed: "Following the sirens that sounded in northern Israel, numerous projectiles and suspicious aerial targets crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory. The IDF Aerial Defense Array and the IAF operated to intercept them and successfully intercepted several targets and projectiles. As a result of UAVs and shrapnel from the interceptions falling in the area, fires broke out in a number of areas in northern Israel. The Israel Fire and Rescue Services are currently operating to extinguish the fires."
"Following the sirens that sounded in the area of Ilaniya regarding a hostile aircraft infiltration at 10:36, it was determined to be a false alarm.
"The IDF is currently striking launch posts in southern Lebanon."
Later, the IDF reported that a total of 160 rockets were launched from Lebanon, and 15 UAVs crossed into Israeli territory, most of which were intercepted.
A later IDF report said: "Following the sirens that sounded earlier today in northern Israel, approximately 200 projectiles and over 20 suspicious aerial targets were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory, a number of which were intercepted by the IDF Aerial Defense Array and IAF fighter jets."
"The IAF struck Hezbollah military structures in the areas of Ramyeh and Houla in southern Lebanon."
On Wednesday afternoon, Abu Ali Nasser, the commander of the Hezbollah terrorist organization's Aziz unit, was killed along with another individual in an airstrike on a vehicle in Tyre, Lebanon by an Israeli UAV.
Hezbollah later confirmed that Ali Nasser was assassinated. The IDF also confirmed the airstrike.
"Earlier today (Wednesday), the IDF eliminated the terrorist Muhammad Neamah Naser, the commander of the Hezbollah terrorist organization’s Aziz Unit which is responsible for firing from southwestern Lebanon at Israeli territory," the IDF stated.
"Muhammad Neamah Naser entered his position in 2016 and led the firing of rockets and anti-tank missiles from southwestern Lebanon toward Israeli civilians, communities, and security forces. Furthermore, Naser directed a large number of terror attacks toward Israel both during and before the war, and he previously held several central roles within the Hezbollah terrorist organization."
Naser was the counterpart of Sami Taleb Abdullah, the commander of the Nasser Unit, who was eliminated last month. Together, they served as two of the most significant Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon.
Lebanese media reported that following the assassination, Hezbollah fired about 50 rockets at northern Israel in retaliation.