In a major escalation, a Hezbollah drone attack on an Israeli army base near Binyamina in central Israel killed four soldiers and severely wounded seven others on Sunday, according to the Israeli military. This marks the deadliest attack by Hezbollah since Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon nearly two weeks ago. Hezbollah called the strike retaliation for Israeli airstrikes in Beirut that killed 22 people. The militant group said it targeted Israel’s elite Golani Brigade, launching drones and dozens of missiles to overwhelm Israeli air defense systems.
The Israeli national rescue service reported that 61 people were injured, an unusually high number for a drone attack given Israel’s advanced defense systems. Hezbollah and Israel have traded fire almost daily since the war in Gaza began, with tensions now escalating further.
In response to the rising conflict, the United States is sending a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense battery and approximately 100 troops to Israel. The Pentagon described the deployment as part of broader efforts to support Israel and protect US personnel from Iranian-backed attacks. US President Joe Biden confirmed the deployment, citing the need to defend Israel. However, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned the US that the presence of its troops in Israel puts their lives at risk.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah threatened further attacks if Israel continues its offensive in Lebanon. The group described the Binyamina strike as a “complex” operation, using drones and missiles to evade Israeli radars and strike an Israeli training camp. In Lebanon, UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the targeting of peacekeepers after two Israeli tanks destroyed a gate and entered a UNIFIL base. Israel claimed the tanks were attempting to evacuate injured soldiers.
Inside Gaza, Israeli tank shelling killed 20 people, including children, at a school sheltering displaced Palestinians, further intensifying the humanitarian crisis. Explosions were also reported outside Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah early on Monday.
