Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets at northern Israeli cities on Wednesday, killing two civilians and marking the first civilian fatalities in the region since Israel’s ground war on Lebanon began earlier this month.
The victims, a couple walking their dogs in the city of Kiryat Shmona, were struck by rockets that fell just 20 meters (65 feet) away from them, according to Israeli police commander Eli Silok. The impact also affected their dogs. Another rocket narrowly missed an ambulance, damaging the vehicle, as reported by Ziporra Barak, an emergency responder with Israel’s emergency services (MDA).
The attack unleashed chaos, with fires breaking out across buildings and open fields in the city. Israel Fire and Rescue Services were dispatched to contain the blazes ignited by the rocket fire.
In total, Hezbollah fired 90 rockets into various regions, including the Upper Galilee, Western Galilee, and southern Golan Heights, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed. While some rockets were intercepted by Israel’s missile defense systems, others managed to hit their targets.
In the city of Safed, footage captured interceptors shooting down incoming rockets. However, the Safed Municipality released video evidence of damage to a building caused by a rocket strike, though no injuries were reported in that incident.
Earlier in the day, rockets also struck Haifa, Israel’s largest city in the north, injuring six people, according to emergency services.