Hezbollah launches multiple heavy rocket barrages deeper into Israel, including larger cities, as response to pager explosions

At least 130 rocket launches towards Israel were detected by Sunday morning, as Hezbollah responds to Israeli strikes over the weekend, including some which eliminated senior Radwan Force commanders. 

The significant Hezbollah response saw air raid sirens activated further south in Israel’s northern communities, reaching the Jezreel Valley, including in some places which had their first alarms since the start of the war. 

The heavy barrage of rockets apparently included the use of longer range, Fadi 1 and Fadi 2 rockets fired at the Ramat David Air Base. If true, this would mark the first use of such longer range, heavier missiles since the start of Hezbollah’s incessant rocket and missile attacks on Israel on October 8. 

The Fadi 1 and 2 rockets, are larger, heavier rockets than the Katyusha rockets the group normally fires, with a range of around 80 km for the Fadi 1 and 105 km (65 miles) for the Fadi 2.

The Fadi 1 and Fadi 2 rockets appear to be variations of the Raad-2/Raad-3 and Kaibar 1 rockets. According to Al-Mayadeen, a Hezbollah-associated Lebanese news channel, the rockets were launched from an underground launcher known as "Imad 4."

Last month, Hezbollah released a video showing the Imad 4 launch facilities, which are underground launchers that can be supplied via tunnels so as not to expose the facilities to Israeli airstrikes.

A few reports within Lebanon and in Hebrew media, claimed that the group also fired several Fajr 5 guided missiles. These missiles have a shorter range and smaller payload, but are guided missiles with a much higher accuracy. 

The IDF announced that about 105 launches were detected within an hour and a half, several of which were intercepted. However, impacts were detected in Kiryat Bialik, where three people were injured, as well as in Beit Shearim, Nazareth, near Kfar Baruch. 

Those injured in Kiryat Bialik include a 70-year-old man in moderate condition, and another man in his 70s and a 16-year-old girl who were lightly hurt. According to Magen David Adom, they were taken to Rambam Hospital in Haifa.

Hezbollah made an official announcement following the rocket fire towards Haifa and the Krayot early Sunday morning, which involved the heavier, longer-range rockets, saying the attack was directed at the Ramat David Air Base in response to the pager and walkie-talkie explosion last week, in which dozens of Hezbollah operatives were killed and thousands wounded. 

In the statement, Hezbollah called it “an initial response”, indicating that the terror group could carry out further attacks. 

“The shooting this morning into the Haifa area is our initial response to the explosions of beepers and radios in Lebanon,” Hezbollah said in the statement. 

A 17-year-old youth was killed and four others were injured in a car accident near Zarzir, which authorities said happened while trying to flee the area of a rocket impact. Additionally, a missile struck a cowshed in Beit Shearim, killing and injuring several cows. 

The association of cities around the Sea of Galilee, called the Kinneret in Hebrew, announced the closure of all beaches on the Sea of Galilee, while the Ministry of Education, in consultation with Home Front Command, announced that all schools from Haifa to the north would only meet via online lessons. 

“This morning after the Home Front Command's tightening of the defense policy: from Haifa to the north, classes today will be held in a distance learning model only. Haifa and northward, without physical learning. The rest of the country is studying as usual.” 

Hospitals in northern Israel also announced a reduction in activity and services due to the increasing Hezbollah rocket fire and expanded range.

Following the heavy fire from Hezbollah, the IDF began striking Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. In a statement, the IDF claimed to have hit 290 Hezbollah targets in retaliation for the missile barrages.