Air defenses over northern Israel were working flat out. In a short stretch, Hezbollah sent 217 rockets across the border from Lebanon, one of the most unusual barrages since the campaign began, Ynet reported.
Of those rockets, 127 crossed into Israeli territory, and air defense systems intercepted a significant portion of them. Hezbollah also launched five unmanned aerial vehicles. Most were shot down. Two got through, and nobody was injured.
Security officials said the barrage was probably only part of a bigger plan. Assessments hold that Hezbollah meant to attack in three waves. The first went ahead, but the other two were disrupted after Israel Defense Forces operations that thwarted parts of the plan.
The running tally
Hundreds of projectiles have been fired at Israel from several fronts since the fighting started. About 300 missiles have come from Iran. From Lebanon, 594 rockets have reached Israel, and about 1,300 launches in total have been counted, though not all crossed into Israeli territory. Iran has also fired more than 10 cluster munitions, each carrying between 20 and 80 submunitions, with warheads of about 4 to 8 kilograms (9 to 18 pounds).
Lebanon’s displaced
For families on the Lebanese side, the cost has been counted in homes left behind. Estimates put the number who have evacuated at about 1.2 million. About 700,000 of them left the Dahieh area of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, and roughly half a million more fled southern Lebanon.
The IDF has widened its strikes in Lebanon in response. Since the campaign began, about 80 structures have been destroyed, roughly 60 in Beirut and about 20 in southern Lebanon. Security officials said some of those buildings served as Hezbollah infrastructure and targets.
