Four Israeli soldiers were killed, and more than 60 people were injured in a drone attack on an army base in central-northern Israel, according to first responders and the Israeli military.
The attack, which occurred late Sunday night, October 13, marks one of the deadliest assaults on Israel since the war began last October.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) launched by Hezbollah struck an army base near Binyamina, a town situated north of Tel Aviv, approximately 40 miles from the Lebanese border.
Along with the four soldiers who lost their lives, seven others sustained serious injuries, the IDF said. According to Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service, a total of 61 people were injured in the attack.
This incident follows Hezbollah’s statement on Sunday claiming responsibility for sending a swarm of attack drones to target an Israeli infantry training camp in Binyamina.
The Lebanon-based militant group said the attack was a retaliation for Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon on Thursday, which killed 22 people and wounded 117, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health.
Hezbollah claimed the strike was aimed at the Golani Brigade, an elite infantry unit of the IDF deployed in southern Lebanon. The militant group’s announcement came shortly after releasing an audio message from their deceased leader, Hassan Nasrallah, urging members to “defend your people, your family, your nation, your values, and your dignity.”
Earlier on Sunday, the IDF reported intercepting a UAV launched from Lebanon, although it wasn’t immediately clear if this was linked to the attack that caused the injuries.
Hezbollah said it had also fired dozens of rockets at northern Israeli towns, including Nahariya and Acre, to challenge Israel’s air defense systems while simultaneously launching the drone swarm.
“These drones evaded Israel’s radar defenses and successfully reached their target at the Golani Brigade’s training camp in Binyamina,” Hezbollah stated.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the IDF’s top spokesperson, confirmed that the military would investigate how the drone managed to bypass the base’s defenses without triggering an alert.
“We will learn from and investigate the incident,” Hagari said in a video statement. “The threat posed by UAVs has been a concern since the beginning of the war, and we must improve our defense systems,” he added.
This attack follows Israel’s recent ground operation in southern Lebanon, which began nearly two weeks ago.
