TIRA, Israel. Eleven people in central Israel were injured on Saturday when rockets fired from Lebanon struck the town of Tira, Israeli emergency services reported. The intensifying violence raises doubts about the prospects for a U.S.-brokered ceasefire amid ongoing clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants.
One of the rockets struck a residential home in Tira, sparking a scene of panic. “We went out and sawdust, children screaming, women screaming, and everyone went to the house that was struck,” recounted local resident Qasim Mohab. “We were able to evacuate and rescue those who were inside the house, and thank God we were blessed that there was no one killed.”
Around the time of the strike, Hezbollah issued a statement claiming responsibility for targeting an Israeli military base near Tel Aviv. Israeli military sources confirmed that 11 individuals were injured by shrapnel in the strike, as air raid sirens blared across northern Israel in response to ongoing rocket and drone attacks from Lebanon.
The escalation comes just one day after the Lebanese Health Ministry reported 52 fatalities from Israeli airstrikes in multiple towns across the Baalbek region, an area known for its UNESCO-listed Roman ruins. Additionally, the Israeli military disclosed on Saturday that it had killed two Hezbollah commanders in operations near Tyre the previous day. Hezbollah has yet to issue a response to these reports.
This surge in violence follows Hezbollah’s decision to begin launching rockets into Israel in solidarity with Palestinian militant group Hamas. Hezbollah’s support emerged after the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, during which an estimated 1,200 people were killed, and 251 hostages taken back to Gaza, as per Israeli accounts.
The ongoing conflict has led to heavy casualties on both sides. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 43,000 Palestinians have died in Israel’s ongoing offensive. Meanwhile, the Lebanese Health Ministry reports that at least 2,897 lives have been lost in Lebanon due to retaliatory attacks, as of Friday. Israel reports that Hezbollah’s fire has claimed 71 lives within Israel and Israeli-administered areas.
As the violence escalates, the region remains on high alert, with any peace negotiations appearing increasingly unlikely amid the mounting toll on both sides.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
