Iran’s Lebanese proxy Hezbollah continued Tuesday (Feb. 27) to fire barrages of rockets at strategic targets in northern Israel, including the Israel Air Force air traffic control base atop Mt. Meron in the Upper Galilee and an IDF radar base atop Mt. Dov in the Golan Heights.
“Approximately 35 launches were identified crossing from Lebanon into the area of Mount Meron in northern Israel,” the IDF said. “There were no injuries or damage to the IDF Aerial Control Unit in the area.”
Multiple interceptions by the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system were seen over Mt. Meron in video footage posted on social media. Rockets that were not intercepted appeared to land on the mountainside, missing the air traffic control base entirely.
Two hours later, Hezbollah fired another barrage of 20 rockets at northern Israel. Red Alert incoming rocket sirens were triggered in nearly two dozen communities along the northern border. No injuries were reported.
A kamikaze drone infiltration in the Upper Galilee and the Meron area was likewise neutralized, with the UAV intercepted in Israeli airspace, IDF Home Front Command reported.
Hezbollah claimed several rockets scored direct hits at the base on Mt. Dov, but that has not been confirmed by the IDF, nor has there been any video footage on social media to support the claim.
In response, IDF fighter jets struck a military site and Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in the areas of Hanniyeh, Jibchit, Baisariyeh, and Mansouri. IDF artillery also struck in the area of Yaroun “in order to remove a threat,” the Israeli military said.
Earlier in the day, Hezbollah also took responsibility for four separate shooting attacks directed at Israeli communities from Lebanon.
The United Nations peacekeeping force stationed in Lebanon (UN Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL) warned Tuesday that the escalation in hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel in recent days could jeopardize the potential for a political solution to the conflict.
NIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Lieutenant General Aroldo Lazaro noted in a statement that the force has seen a “concerning shift in the exchanges of fire” in recent days.
“In recent days, we have continued our active engagement with the parties to decrease tensions and prevent dangerous misunderstandings, but recent events have the potential to put at risk a political solution to this conflict.
“We urge all parties involved to halt hostilities to prevent further escalation and leave space to a political and diplomatic solution that can bring back stability and ensure the safety of the people in this region,” Lazaro said.
