Dear A.,

In the last 48 hours, the IDF delivered a sequence of major blows to Hezbollah as the Iran-backed terror group prepared to inflict massive damage across the Jewish state.

In an interview this morning, Israeli President Isaac Herzog confirmed that the senior Hezbollah leaders eliminated by Israel in Beirut on Friday were meeting to discuss plans to invade Israel and carry out another October 7-style attack. Hezbollah intended to repeat Hamas’ strategy in communities in the north, "by burning Israelis, butchering them, raping their women, abducting and taking hostage old people, and young, and little babies. This is exactly the same plan that they’ve been planning for years, under the plans of the Empire of Evil of Iran."

"We are fighting the war for the entire free world," Herzog said. "We don’t want to get to war. We want to bring our citizens back to their homes on the border with Lebanon."

The IDF struck over 400 Hezbollah targets throughout the day yesterday, including thousands of rocket launcher barrels that were loaded and ready to be used to attack Israel. These remarkable images show Hezbollah’s weapons and rocket launchers being destroyed by Israel’s airstrikes.

Israel’s offensive capabilities enabled the IDF to remove these imminent threats and prevent thousands of rocket and missile attacks on Israeli cities and towns.

Hezbollah launches barrage of rockets deep into Israel

As Israel worked to destroy and degrade Hezbollah’s capabilities, the terror group launched waves of rockets and missiles into Israel – striking deeper than it has at any point in the war. Air raid sirens blared for hours throughout northern Israel, forcing more than two million Israelis into bomb shelters.

Rocket alerts sounded near Haifa for the first time since October 7, where damage from a Hezbollah rocket ignited fires. Hezbollah also targeted Nazareth, whose population is 70% Muslim and 30% Christian, with waves of rocket fire – video showed a park on fire after an impact. Another rocket impact on an Israeli home in the north was captured in this video.

Israel’s multi-layered defense system was activated throughout the north, shooting down the majority of projectiles launched by Hezbollah. The incredible close-up footage below shows one of Israel’s interceptors tracking and destroying a Hezbollah missile. Israel has the ability to build and successfully deploy these lifesaving defense systems thanks to the funding we lobby for together.

The attacks didn’t just come from Lebanon. Israel intercepted two cruise missiles, several rockets, and an explosive drone fired by Iran-backed terrorists in Iraq. The IDF published this footage showing interceptors locking on to incoming weapons and destroying them mid-path:

Hospitals move operations underground, new guidelines issued for public gatherings

The IDF has issued new instructions for residents in northern Israel – including in Haifa – limiting public gatherings to 10 people outdoors and 100 indoors. Schools are closed throughout Northern Israel, and workplaces can only operate if adequate shelters are nearby and can be reached in time.

Hospitals across northern Israel are moving patients to protected areas to prepare for the worst-case scenario of operating for days under heavy rocket and missile fire. Haifa’s Rambam Hospital has begun moving medical care to its fortified underground parking lot.

I will continue to provide updates as the situation in the north develops. Continue to follow AIPAC on social media for real-time updates.

Sincerely,

Cory Meyer
Deputy Director of Communications