Emergency services personnel attend the scene of a drone strike on Sunday in Binyamina, Israel (Getty Images)
By Smartencyclopedia with Agencies
In one of the bloodiest attacks on Israel in the past year, more than 60 people were injured in a drone strike on the city of Binyamina, central Israel. Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack, which targeted a military camp on Sunday, according to Israeli rescue services.
The strike is seen as retaliation for Israeli airstrikes on Beirut last Thursday, which resulted in the deaths of 22 people. Hezbollah’s actions mark a dramatic escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran-backed militant groups in the region.
Israeli media reported that two drones were launched from Lebanon, with the Israeli military successfully intercepting one. The exact target of the second drone remains unclear, as do details about whether military personnel were among the casualties. Israeli air defense systems, known for their effectiveness, are rarely breached on this scale, making the high number of injured particularly alarming. Some of the wounded are reported to be in critical condition.
This attack follows a drone strike on Tel Aviv the previous day, during the Yom Kippur holiday, which caused damage but no injuries. These strikes come amid heightened tensions as Israel is currently engaged in conflicts with both Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Hezbollah’s rocket attacks began shortly after Hamas launched its surprise offensive against Israel on October 7, 2023, leading to retaliatory Israeli airstrikes. The conflict intensified further in September when Israeli forces carried out airstrikes that killed Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, along with several top commanders.
The drone strike on Binyamina coincided with an announcement from the United States that it would deploy an advanced air defense system to Israel to bolster its defenses against further missile attacks. The system will be accompanied by U.S. troops to operate it, although no timeline for deployment has been provided by U.S. officials.
The war has taken a devastating toll on both sides. According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, more than 1,400 people have been killed in Lebanon since September, although it remains unclear how many of those were Hezbollah fighters. In Israel, at least 54 people have been killed in rocket attacks, nearly half of them soldiers.
As Israel continues its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, an escalation with Iran is widely expected. Tehran has vowed a “crushing” response to any Israeli military action, adding further uncertainty to an already volatile situation. With the region on edge, the risk of a broader conflict continues to grow.