Hezbollah Launches Missile and Drone Barrage Toward Northern Israel

Hezbollah launched a coordinated barrage of precision missiles and drones toward northern Israel, targeting an air defense site near Mishmar HaCarmel, south of the city of Haifa. The attack marked the group’s first large-scale military action against Israel since a ceasefire agreed in November 2024, ending approximately 15 months of relative quiet along the Israel–Lebanon border. According to statements from Hezbollah, the attack was carried out as retaliation for the killing of Ali Khamenei, which the group said had been conducted by United States and Israeli forces. Hezbollah also cited what it described as continuing Israeli military pressure against Lebanon. The organization said its missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles were directed at the Mishmar HaCarmel air defense installation, a site associated with Israel’s northern defensive network. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that at least one incoming projectile was intercepted by Israeli air defense systems. Military statements indicated that several other projectiles landed in open areas in northern Israel, and no immediate casualties were reported following the barrage. Emergency services and local authorities conducted inspections in nearby communities to assess potential damage and ensure that unexploded ordnance was not present. The strike represented a breach of the ceasefire established in November 2024, which had ended months of cross-border exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel during the regional tensions that followed the Gaza war in 2023–2024. The 2024 agreement had reduced direct attacks along the frontier between Israel and Lebanon, although both sides maintained military readiness near the border. The 01/03/2026 barrage occurred amid wider tensions in the region, with multiple actors involved in military operations connected to the conflict with Iran. Following the attack, Israeli authorities continued monitoring airspace and border areas in northern Israel while maintaining air defense alerts across nearby districts.