Fire breaks out in northern Israel after Hezbollah drone explodes near Lebanon border

Zein Khalil

A fire broke out Tuesday in northern Israel after a drone launched by Hezbollah exploded near the Lebanese border, according to the army and local media.

The Israeli army said sirens were activated in the settlements of Manara and Margaliot following what it described as the infiltration of hostile drones.

In a statement, the army said Hezbollah launched several explosive drones and suspicious aerial targets toward Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and Israeli territory.

It said the Israeli air force intercepted one drone, while another exploded inside Israeli territory near the border with Lebanon.

The army claimed there were no injuries in the attack.

Hebrew-language platforms on Telegram circulated videos showing a fire burning in Margaliot following the drone explosion.

Shortly before the attack, the Israeli army said it had launched an interceptor missile toward a drone targeting its forces in southern Lebanon, but the interceptor “lost contact with the target.”

Hezbollah’s drones, particularly those using fiber-optic technology, have increasingly posed a challenge for Israel and a direct threat to Israeli troops and occupiers.

Separately, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported Tuesday that fragmentation rounds from the United States had arrived for use against Hezbollah drones.

The broadcaster said the ammunition would soon be distributed to Israeli soldiers operating in southern Lebanon.

Last week, KAN reported that Israel was testing special fragmentation rounds in the United States designed for 5.56 mm ammunition used in M-16 and Tavor rifles to intercept Hezbollah drones.

In late April, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that Hezbollah’s missiles and drones constituted “two major threats” and called on military commanders to address them.

Israel has been conducting a broad offensive in Lebanon since March 2, killing and injuring thousands and displacing more than 1.6 million people, according to Lebanese authorities.

Although a ceasefire has been in effect since April 17, Israeli forces have continued operations in southern Lebanon, including demolitions, destruction of homes and forced displacement from dozens of villages, citing what they describe as Hezbollah military infrastructure.

Israel continues to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during the 2023-2024 conflict, while its forces have advanced up to around 10 kilometers inside Lebanese territory during the current offensive.

*Writing By Sahin Demir in Istanbul