Israeli army investigating 3 drone breaches launched from Lebanon into southern Haifa

By Khaled Yousef and Naim Berjawi

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army said Tuesday it is investigating three drone incursions into the southern Haifa settlement of Atlit.

Air raid sirens sounded in Atlit, marking the first such alert in the area since 2019, prompting heightened security alerts.

“Following the sirens that sounded between 19:39 and 19:42 in the area of HaCarmel, three UAVs were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory,” the army said in a statement. “Some of them were intercepted. The details are under review.”

The presence of the elite Israeli Shayetet 13 naval commando base in Atlit has intensified concerns about the incursions that triggered the army to launch an investigation.

In a related development, the Israeli military continued airstrikes on Lebanon, claiming to have “dismantled dozens of terrorist infrastructure in which weapons were stored, as well as dozens of launchers that were aimed toward Israeli territory.”

Hezbollah later said it deployed drones targeting the Shayetet 13 naval unit's base in Atlit.

The group said earlier that it targeted the settlements of Katzrin, HaGoshrim and Gesher HaZiv with rocket barrages.

It reported firing 50 rockets at the Dado military base in northern Israel.

Channel 12 reported that there were injuries in the town of Tamra in the Lower Galilee region, where a rocket struck a busy road.

The Israeli army launched waves of airstrikes in Lebanon since early Monday against what it called Hezbollah targets amid an escalation in warfare between the two sides.

More than 560 victims, including 95 women and 50 children, were killed and 1,835 injured, according to Health Minister Firas Abiad.

"The majority of the victims in the Israeli attacks since Monday morning are defenseless civilians in their homes. This refutes the enemy's allegations of targeting fighters," he said.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 41,400 victims, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7.

The international community has warned against strikes on Lebanon, fearing a broader regional conflict.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio