Double-drone attack from Lebanon hits residential building in Israel

One of two drones launched from Lebanon into central Israel hit a residential building (with some reports calling it a retirement home) in the Israeli city of Herzliya without causing any casualties, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have said. The other drone was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force, as the two drones were tracked from the moment they crossed into Israeli territory, the IDF said on Friday as reported by Xinhua news agency.

Meanwhile, Israel's Channel 12 TV news reported that occupants of the building were in a protected area at the time of the attack, as warning sirens had been activated in Herzliya and nearby cities Ramat Hasharon and Hod Hasharon, all located in the Tel Aviv metropolis. According to the municipality of Herzliya, power lines fell as a result of the attack, causing outages in several areas of the city.

Earlier on Friday, the IDF said more than 100 rockets and missiles were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel, with about 80 launches occurring within four minutes. The attacks came as Israel prepared to observe Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

Despite the shutdown of most services for the holiday, the country remains on high alert amid the fighting in Gaza and the renewed tensions with Lebanon. So far, the Lebanon-based radical Islamist outfit Hezbollah has not commented on any of those attacks.

In a related development, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez issued a joint statement condemning the recent targeting of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) by the IDF.

According to a press release from France's Elysee, the statement said: "We express our outrage after several peacekeepers were injured in Naqoura. These attacks constitute a serious violation of the obligations of Israel under UNSCR 1701 and humanitarian international law. Those attacks are unjustifiable and shall immediately come to an end."

The UNIFIL said on Thursday that an Israeli tank fired on a watchtower in its headquarters in Naqoura, southern Lebanon, injuring two members, Xinhua news agency reported. It said the IDF soldiers also fired at a UN position in the Lebanese border area of Labbouneh, hitting the entrance to the bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, damaging vehicles and a communications system. UNIFIL also said on Friday that two more peacekeepers were injured in two explosions near a watchtower in Labbouneh.

According to a UNIFIL post on X, several walls at the UN position near the Blue Line in Labbouneh collapsed when an Israeli caterpillar struck the perimeter, and Israeli tanks moved close to the UN position. "We recall that all peacekeepers must be protected and reiterate our praise for the continued and indispensable commitment of UNIFIL troops/ personnel in this very challenging context," the joint statement added.

The leaders further called for an immediate ceasefire as well as for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (UNSCR1701) by all parties, which is the only way to allow for Israeli and Lebanese people to return to their homes in security.

The UN Security Council Resolution 1701 adopted in 2006 calls for an end to hostilities between Israel and Lebanon. Since 23 September, the Israeli army has been launching an unprecedented, intensive air attack on Lebanon ostensibly targeting Hezbollah.

Since early October, the Israeli army has been carrying out specific ground operations against Hezbollah targets near the Lebanese border, and intensifying its airstrikes and artillery shelling, especially on the southern suburbs of Lebanese capital Beirut, the stronghold of Hezbollah.