by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – Israel came under a coordinated barrage of rockets, drones, and ballistic missiles Wednesday night as Hezbollah and Iran launched simultaneous attacks that triggered air raid sirens across large parts of the country.
Sirens sounded without warning in northern Israel as dozens of rockets were fired from Lebanon toward Israeli communities near the border. At the same time, ballistic missiles launched from Iran triggered alerts in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and areas of central Israel.
The attacks sent hundreds of thousands of Israelis rushing to bomb shelters as the Israel Defense Forces worked to intercept incoming projectiles.
According to Israeli military assessments, Hezbollah fired at least 150 rockets toward northern Israel over several hours, including an opening salvo of roughly 100 rockets around 8 p.m. Several rockets struck open areas and residential zones, causing extensive damage.
Emergency responders reported that two people were lightly wounded by flying debris following a rocket impact. Magen David Adom paramedics treated a 35-year-old woman and a man in his 50s who were injured by fragments. Four additional individuals were treated for acute anxiety at the scene.
A rocket that struck a home in the northern town of Bi’ina caused structural damage and triggered emergency response teams to search the area for possible victims.
Meanwhile, Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles toward Israel in what Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps described as a “joint and integrated operation” with Hezbollah. Israeli air defense systems intercepted many of the missiles, though falling fragments and impacts caused several fires and property damage in central Israel.
Israeli officials said the attacks appear to have been coordinated in an attempt to widen the conflict as Israel and the United States continue their joint military campaign against Iran that began on February 28.
According to Israeli officials speaking to Israel Hayom, Hezbollah has decided to intensify its attacks in part to shift international attention away from Iran and to strengthen its position ahead of any future negotiations with Israel.
Officials said Hezbollah is also attempting to remove enforcement mechanisms included in the previous ceasefire arrangement that ended the last major round of fighting between Israel and the Lebanese terror group.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks, announcing what it called a new military campaign named “The Eaten Straw.”
The name is drawn from Surah al-Fil in the Quran, which recounts a story in which the army of Abraha the Abyssinian attempted to conquer Mecca in the sixth century using war elephants. According to the narrative, flocks of birds destroyed the invading army, leaving it scattered like “eaten straw.” Hezbollah’s use of the name appears intended to frame its attacks against Israel within Islamic religious imagery.
As the barrage continued, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a limited security consultation Wednesday evening to discuss Israel’s response to the coordinated assault.
Israeli officials warned that the country is preparing for a potential escalation of the conflict.
According to Israeli reports, Israel could expand military operations in Lebanon, including seizing territory in southern Lebanon and significantly increasing the Israel Defense Forces’ presence in the buffer zone along the northern border.
“The Lebanese government needs to get a grip on their country,” one senior Israeli official said, warning that Hezbollah strongholds could face widespread destruction if attacks continue.
In response to the rocket fire, the Israeli Air Force launched extensive strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon. Israeli aircraft targeted rocket launchers and other military sites in southern Beirut and across southern Lebanon.
Reports from Lebanese media said Israeli forces also carried out artillery strikes and air attacks on several villages including Zibqin, Kfara, al-Shaabiyah, Siddiqin, Maroun al-Ras, and Aita al-Shaab.
The Israeli military said the strikes were aimed at preventing additional rocket launches toward Israeli territory.
Israeli defense officials believe Hezbollah may be attempting to draw Israel into a broader northern conflict in order to divert Israeli military focus away from the ongoing campaign against Iran.
Despite the escalation, Israeli officials say the military is capable of conducting simultaneous operations.
“We have the capabilities to fight on multiple fronts,” a senior Israeli security official said.
The latest attacks mark one of the most intense coordinated assaults on Israel since regional tensions sharply escalated earlier this year.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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