Israeli farmer seriously injured in Hezbollah retaliatory strike in Lower Galilee after IDF killed senior air defense agent

A farmer in Israel’s Lower Galilee region was seriously injured in a Hezbollah rocket attack, reportedly in response to the killing of a senior operative in its air defense system last night.

Magen David Adom emergency services reported that its emergency services personnel treated a man injured by shrapnel near a field near Kfar Zeitim. The 28-year-old farmer was taken to the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya for treatment.

The Israel Defense Forces announced that they had identified about 20 missiles flying from Lebanon toward the Lower Galilee, some of which were intercepted by Israeli air defenses.

The terrorist group Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack and said it fired “dozens of Katyusha rockets at the Nimra base west of Tiberias.”

Early this morning, sirens sounded in the Ramot Naftali area of ​​northern Israel and the Israel Defense Forces reported that a suspicious aerial target had been successfully intercepted. No injuries or damage were reported in the incident.

The Hezbollah attacks followed an Israeli Air Force (IAF) raid that killed Hezbollah terrorist Meitham Mustafa Altaar near Baalbek, Lebanon, on Saturday night. Meitham was a key player in Hezbollah’s air defense unit, according to the Israeli Air Force.

🔴ELIMINATED: Meitham Mustafa Altaar, key player in Hezbollah’s air defense unit.

Meitham led many of the unit’s activities and was involved in planning and carrying out numerous terrorist attacks against Israelis. Meitham also flew to Iran several times, where he…

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 6, 2024

The IDF Spokesperson’s Office stated: “Meitham directed many of the unit’s activities and was involved in planning and carrying out numerous terrorist attacks against the State of Israel.”

Meitham flew to Iran several times, “where he acquired knowledge and helped build up the armed forces and the Iranian weapons arsenal of the terrorist organization Hezbollah,” the statement said.

Following the attack, the Israeli Air Force issued a statement saying: “The Air Force will continue to operate where necessary, including in Lebanese airspace, to avert a threat to the residents of the State of Israel and to fulfill the missions of the Israeli Air Force.”

In recent years, Iran has helped Hezbollah build an air defense system across southern Lebanon that includes shoulder-fired missiles and anti-aircraft batteries. It has also trained Hezbollah members in the use of these air defense systems as the terrorist group seeks to counter Israeli air superiority.

In recent weeks, there has been an increasing number of cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel.

On Thursday, the terrorist group fired a massive barrage towards northern Israel after another high-ranking commander was eliminated.

On Saturday, two Israeli soldiers were injured by rocket and drone attacks attacks by Hezbollah, which attacked the area of ​​Kiryat Shmona.