Hezbollah's cryptic message to northern residents may have hinted drone attack near Binyamina

Last Friday, the Hezbollah terrorist organization issued a rare warning that civilians near military targets would be at risk. Today, 67 people were wounded when a drone exploded in the Binyamina area with no prior warning.

In its statement, Hezbollah declared that it would target civilians near military installations. The message stated, “The enemy has taken homes in the North as gathering points for officers and soldiers.”

The statement also mentioned that cities such as Haifa, Tiberias, and other military bases are now targets. Hezbollah urged Israeli citizens to avoid “being near military gatherings” to “protect their lives.” This marks a significant escalation, as Hezbollah had not previously stated so openly that civilians would be considered targets.

In retrospect, this message may have telegraphed the major Hezbollah attack on Sunday evening.

Since October 7, around 30 civilians have been killed in Hezbollah attacks. On Sunday, 67 individuals were wounded in the Binyamina area following a drone strike, with injuries ranging in severity.

Magen David Adom officials stated that four people were in critical condition. Earlier, sirens sounded in several Western Galilee cities, including Nahariya and Acre, due to rocket and drone launches from Lebanon. Alarms were also heard in Talmei Elazar, near Hadera. While one drone was intercepted, no alarm was triggered in Binyamina, where another drone struck.

Two drones were launched toward Israel, with one shot down over the sea. The other, though, penetrated deep into Israel, crashing into the Binyamina area. No warning sirens were activated, which the IDF will be probing.

Drones over Yom Kippur

An eyewitness to the explosion said, “We saw it fall, and no alarm was sounded beforehand. How is it possible that it made its way from Lebanon without any warning? We were shocked and immediately sought shelter.”

Two days ago, during the Jewish high holiday of Yom Kippur, two drones from Lebanon infiltrated central Israel. One was intercepted near Herzliya, while the other crashed into a nursing home, causing structural damage.

Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.