Massive fires sparked by Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks rage in Israel as the city is evacuated

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah “took revenge” on Israel and set the north on fire with a barrage of rockets and drones.

The Israeli military claims to have killed a key agent involved in improving Hezbollah’s air defenses in an attack in southern Lebanon.

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Firefighters battled fires in northern Israel earlier this morningallegedly triggered yesterday by rockets and drones launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon.

Thirty fire crews worked through the night to extinguish the fires while major roads were closed in the Galilee, Israel’s fire and rescue services said.

Several yards, outdoor structures and the roof of at least one house caught fire in the nearly evacuated town of Kiryat Shmona.

Rescuers worked tirelessly to control the flames and stop them from reaching homes, including in Kfar Giladi and Kiryat Shmona.

Doron Shnaper, spokesman for Kiryat Shmona, said: “Under the orders of the Kiryat Shmona firefighting forces and police, we began to evacuate residents who remained in the town despite the evacuation order.

“We are going door to door, asking people who are in their homes to evacuate immediately.”

A dramatic video shared on social media showed a large team fighting the flames engulfing Kibbutz Kfar Giladi, north of the city.

But fires also broke out in the Mount Adir and Amiad areas, where firefighters’ aim was to prevent the fire from spreading to the nearby village of Kahal, which has a population of around 500 people.

The infernos had been raging since yesterday afternoon and were mainly brought under control on Tuesday morning, the Israeli fire service said.

A fire near Amiad is estimated to have burned nearly 990 acres.

Six Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reservists and five citizens were treated for smoke inhalation, the military and a medical center said.

The fires come amid intensifying cross-border skirmishes between Israel and Hezbollah, with the Iran-backed group firing barrages in the Galilee and Golan Heights in recent days.

Around 15 active fire sites were recorded in the Galilee-Golan region alone, which Israeli media said it resulted mainly from rocket launches on a day as hot as 43C in Kiryat Shmona and the Sea of ​​Galilee area.

The attacks on Sunday caused forest fires that consumed more than 2,470 acres of foliage, according to the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

Border clashes have resulted in the deaths of 10 Israeli civilians and 14 Israeli soldiers and reservists since Hezbollah-led forces began attacking Israel in October – reportedly in support of ending the war in Gaza.

Israel killed 328 Hezbollah members, most in Lebanon but also in Syria, according to the militant group.

Another 62 operatives from other militant groups were killed in Lebanon, as well as a Lebanese soldier and dozens of civilians.

Israel’s military claimed to have killed prominent Hezbollah operative Hussein Sabra in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon yesterday morning.

Sabra was involved in efforts to improve Hezbollah’s air defense unit by equipping it with new assets, according to the IDF.

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