Hezbollah announced on Wednesday that its fighters had launched a rocket targeting what it claimed was the Mossad spy agency headquarters near Tel Aviv.
The Israeli military reported intercepting a single surface-to-surface missile detected crossing from Lebanon. Warning sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and other central Israeli areas, including Netanya, though no damage or casualties were reported.
Israeli military spokesman Nadav Shoshani could not confirm Hezbollah’s claimed target, stating, “The result was a heavy missile, going towards Tel Aviv, towards civilian areas in Tel Aviv. The Mossad headquarters is not in that area.”
In response, Israel has been conducting its heaviest airstrikes in a year of conflict, targeting Hezbollah leaders and striking hundreds of sites deep inside Lebanon. The Israeli military announced that its warplanes were carrying out extensive strikes in south Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.
The escalation follows the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip last October. Hezbollah, citing solidarity with Hamas, has engaged in near-daily exchanges of fire along Israel’s northern frontier for months.
Since Monday, the Israeli offensive has reportedly killed 569 people in Lebanon, including 50 children, and wounded 1,835, according to Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad. Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib estimated that half a million people have been displaced.
Hezbollah has accused Mossad of assassinating its leaders and orchestrating a recent operation that resulted in 39 deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries among its members.
As tensions escalate, Israeli troops have been preparing for a potential ground operation in Lebanon. However, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that killing key Hezbollah figures would not defeat the group.
