The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged on Sunday that a sensitive air traffic control base in northern Israel sustained damage in a Hezbollah missile attack the day before.
Hezbollah claimed the attack was in response to the alleged Israeli killing of Hamas terror chief Saleh al-Arouri in Lebanon the previous week. The barrage, consisting of over 40 rockets and several missiles, targeted the base situated on Mount Meron, approximately eight kilometers (5 miles) from the Lebanon border. The IDF did not provide specific details about the damage, but footage released by Hezbollah indicated that two radar domes were struck by anti-tank guided missiles.
During an evening press conference, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari assured that the damage to the base would be addressed and repaired. He mentioned that due to pre-existing preparations, the unit remains operational, and alternative systems are in place as backups.
He said the IDF was investigating the incident in order to prevent similar attacks on the sensitive base.
The Iran-backed terror group said in a statement that the attack was “part of the initial response to the crime of assassinating the great leader Sheikh Saleh al-Arouri.” a sensitive air traffic
Hezbollah said it targeted the Meron base with 62 “various types of missiles.
In response to the missile attack, the IDF conducted multiple waves of strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, specifically targeting two significant military compounds belonging to the terrorist group.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi emphasized on Sunday that the military was imposing escalating costs on Hezbollah as it continued its attacks on northern Israel.
“Hezbollah has chosen to engage in this conflict, and we are imposing increasingly heavy costs. It paid yesterday with seven casualties, it paid yesterday with the destruction of two very significant targets, and we are escalating the toll it bears,” Halevi stated.
He highlighted that the IDF’s primary responsibility is to ensure the return of Israel’s displaced northern residents to their homes. This, he asserted, would be achieved through the military’s pressure on Hezbollah, or otherwise, it might lead to another war.