Israeli opposition figure says time to replace ‘inept’ government to restore security in northern Israel

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) – An Israeli opposition party leader on Saturday called for a change in Premier Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "inept" government to restore security to northern Israel amid ongoing rocket attacks from southern Lebanon.

On X, Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the Yisrael Beytenu party, criticized the government, writing: “Another unbearable Saturday in the north, with dozens of rockets launched since the morning, while our leadership remains silent and ineffective."

Lieberman, who has held various ministerial positions including Defense (2016-2018) and Finance (2021-2022), argued that it is crucial to swiftly replace the government to ensure the safety of northern residents and all Israeli citizens.

Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli army said it had detected approximately 55 rockets fired at the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, with no casualties.

Daily Maariv reported that Lebanese group Hezbollah on Saturday morning launched about 20 rockets at the city of Safed and the village of Akbara in the southern part of the city.

Safed, located about 41 kilometers (25.5 miles) from the Israeli-Lebanese border, also faced rocket attacks the previous night.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for targeting an Israeli Merkava tank with a guided missile on the Ruwaisat al-Alam road, destroying it and igniting a fire. It said this was in retaliation for Israeli attacks on southern Lebanese villages and homes, particularly in Kafrman and southern Ahmadieh.

On Friday, an Israeli drone killed one person and injured four others, including a child, in an airstrike on Ahmadieh, southern Lebanon.

Tensions have spiked along Lebanon's border with Israel amid cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israeli forces as Tel Aviv presses ahead with an offensive against the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 41,000 people since last October following a cross-border attack by Hamas.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi