Hezbollah’s Military Media released late on Sunday video showing the strike on the settlement of Meron and the surrounding settlements in northern occupied Palestine, as the Lebanese resistance group went ahead with pro-Gaza attacks against Israeli sites.
The footage below shows dozens of Hezbollah’s Katyusha missiles pounding Meron and the surrounding settlements. The strike took place late Saturday.
Meanwhile on Sunday, Hezbollah’s Military Media announced that the resistance group launched four strikes targeting Israeli sites.
According to a summary provided by the Military Media department, Hezbollah’s Islamic Resistance fighters shelled Al-Baghdadi site at 11:45, inflicting direct hits.
Later on Sunday afternoon (at 15:10), the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted Al-Samaqa site in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kfar Shuba with appropriate weapons, inflicting direct hits.
The third strike saw the Islamic Resistance fighters hitting Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kfar Shuba with missile weapons.
Later at 19:00, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a structure used by Israeli enemy soldiers in Shtula settlement, inflicting direct hits, in response to the enemy’s attacks on resilient villages and civilian homes.
Since October 8, Lebanon’s Hezbollah group launched attacks on Israeli sites along the border with occupied Palestine in solidarity with the Palestinian people and resistance.
Israeli Walla news website’s military correspondent reported on Monday that “Hezbollah insists on linking the northern front with Gaza battle.”
Earlier on Sunday, Israeli media reported on the damage at Menara border settlement, due to a Hezbollah strike on the area a day earlier.
Israeli Haaretz newspaper wrote that “it is difficult to find a safe area in Kibbutz Menara at the border with Lebanon, with destruction evident in every corner of the kibbutz.”
“Estimates indicate that around 70% of the buildings there have been damaged by direct missile strikes,” the Israeli daily added.
Hezbollah has moved to counter Israel’s targeted killings strategy by hitting high-value Israeli assets and showcasing stunning intelligence-gathering feats meant to humble Tel Aviv.
On 17 April, Hezbollah launched a series of qualitative military operations on the western sector of the Lebanese–Israeli border, culminating in a sophisticated attack using guided missiles and an explosive-laden drone that struck the headquarters of an Israeli reconnaissance unit in the village of Arab al-Aramshe.
At 1:06 p.m., a report was received of a direct hit to a community center in the Arab Al Aramsha area. There are 6 injured, one of them in serious condition, another injured in moderate condition and the rest in light condition.
The attack resulted in 18 casualties, some serious, including an enemy general who succumbed to his wounds, according to Israeli reports.
The primary aim of these operations was to deliver a stern message to Israel: further targeted killings of Hezbollah members will not be tolerated. The resistance response was specifically provoked by the assassination of its fighters in the villages of Ain Baal and Chehabiya the previous day, where Israeli drone strikes martyred several fighters in quick succession.
Hezbollah strikes, Israel reacts
On the morning of the retaliatory operation, Hezbollah executed additional notable attacks in the western sector. These included striking the Branit barracks with a powerful Burkan missile and launching an Almas-3 missile at the Meron base’s air control unit, marking the first reported use of this missile with a range exceeding 10 kilometers.
The attack also destroyed an AN/TPQ-37, a radar crucial for detecting projectiles and identifying their origins.
Despite its initial reluctance, the Israeli military acknowledged the operation, following the overwhelming evidence presented in numerous video recordings. The operation, as with many by Hezbollah as of late, was a qualitative response, drawing significant media attention and analysis in Israel.
Prominent commentators noted that Hezbollah had effectively circumvented Israeli warning systems and struck at will, indicating that previous assassinations by Israel did not deter Hezbollah’s strategic operations.
The Arab al-Aramshe operation is being carefully analyzed by Israeli media, both concerning Hezbollah’s tactics and Israel’s responses. Israel’s Channel 12 outlet, in particular, emphasized two major points:
First, Hezbollah learns rapidly from past engagements and introduces new tactics and weapons into the battlefield. This was demonstrated by its deployment of heavy Burkan missiles against Israeli army bases, marking a shift in its approach and showcasing its ability to innovate and apply new technologies in combat scenarios.
Second, the Lebanese resistance movement’s ability to effectively combine multiple weapon systems simultaneously to target a specific location was also noted. This strategy aims to overwhelm the enemy’s defensive measures and maximize impact.
Further insight was provided by a military correspondent from the Hebrew newspaper Makor Rishon, who pointed out that Israel’s numerous assassinations of Hezbollah members have neither deterred nor significantly affected the organization’s ability to carry out sophisticated strikes against sensitive Israeli military points.
Essentially, the Hebrew media depiction paints a picture of concern over the Israeli army’s current military strategies and their effectiveness. Streams of articles now conclude that neither deep raids into Lebanese territory nor the targeting of Hezbollah’s operational capabilities has prevented the organization from accessing and utilizing advanced weaponry or executing coordinated attacks.
Hezbollah’s intelligence gathering
The intelligence capabilities of Hezbollah are clearly robust and have been cultivated over many years. This level of intelligence gathering has been highlighted by the group’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, who once pointedly messaged the Israelis:
It is not important what you know about the resistance, but what the resistance knows about you.
The Arab al-Aramshe operation is a compelling illustration of these capabilities. Hezbollah’s prior knowledge of a relatively new reconnaissance site and subsequent successful strike showcase its meticulous intelligence work.
This is by no means an isolated case; similar intelligence-driven operations have targeted other critical Israeli military assets, including operational headquarters and Iron Dome positions across different locations.
Hezbollah has also been able to identify and strike at highly sensitive and less visible targets. This includes military bases like the “Yaav” base and the “Kila” barracks in the occupied Golan Heights, known to be the headquarters of Israel’s air and missile defense command. These sites were specifically targeted following the return of forces from the Golani Brigade, who were training there after committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
The complexity of Hezbollah’s intelligence operations lies in its clarity and ambiguity. While the targets of its operations are clear, how it gathers such detailed and specific intelligence remains largely undisclosed and mysterious.
This capability to identify and act upon vulnerabilities deep within Israeli territory points to a sophisticated network of intelligence gathering and analysis, likely involving both technological surveillance and human intelligence.
Raising the stakes
Hezbollah aimed to achieve several objectives through the combined strike in Arab al-Aramshe. These goals include deterring Israel’s assassinations of resistance fighters and asserting the resistance’s focus on hitting significant, high-value targets to inflict substantial losses.
Additionally, Hezbollah demonstrated its capability to gather detailed intelligence, enabling it to pinpoint sensitive and strategic enemy locations.
The escalation of resistance activities aims to set boundaries for the Israeli military, which has continued its strategy of assassinations and attacks against Lebanese civilians and state agricultural areas. Moreover, these actions on the Lebanese front are designed to bolster and support the resistance in the Gaza Strip.
It is through the deployment of various weapons and military tactics that Hezbollah continues to pursue its objective of challenging and restraining Israeli aggression toward Lebanon while simultaneously supporting the Palestinian resistance in Gaza – both politically and militarily – since the launch of Al-Aqsa Flood last year.
The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.
Having established a 1:1 kill ratio in the past six months of border clashes, Hezbollah has now set its sights on high-value Israeli targets to counter Tel Aviv’s strikes into Lebanon’s geographic depth.
Since 8 October, more than 230 Israeli soldiers have been killed by Hezbollah fighters in cross-border operations against the occupation state, according to field data obtained by The Cradle.
This suggests that the Lebanese resistance has achieved parity in the number of forces killed by both sides during the past six months of military clashes.
This feat is as significant as it is impressive, given that “relatively poorly armed and usually outnumbered popular resistance forces never achieve a 1:1 ratio against high-tech, heavily weaponized colonialist and neo-colonialist forces,” as noted by one analyst in the aftermath of Israel’s 2006 war on Lebanon.
Hezbollah’s new ‘targets ratio’
While Hezbollah honors the martyrdoms of its fallen fighters by disclosing both name and number, the Israeli military tightly controls its casualty information flow, masking the true extent of its losses and downplaying the significance of crucial Israeli installations struck by Hezbollah drones and missiles in the country’s northern front.
Recent reports suggest258 Hezbollah fighters have been killed since 8 October, while Israel has claimed only 10 fatalities among its forces – a highly improbable figure given Hezbollah’s extensive dissemination of war footage showing its Israeli troop targeting operations.
In comparison, during Israel’s 2006 war on Lebanon, which lasted only 34 days, Hezbollah’s losses are estimated to be around 250 dead fighters versus Israel’s declared 121 troops deaths, although that number is believed to be significantly higher. Ten Israeli deaths on the Lebanese border after six months of ferocious clashes makes little sense in this context.
Arab ‘cannon fodder’ and foreign mercenaries
Tel Aviv adds to this “fog of war” by employing Bedouin and Druze troops on its frontlines to make concealing army deaths easier.
For instance, Israel provides a “material allowance” to the families of soldiers from the Bedouin “Qasasi al-Athar” unit, which is deployed to a number of Israel’s borders – Lebanon, Gaza, Egypt – with a focus on preventing cross-border infiltrations, particularly during times of conflict.
Field estimates indicate that the largest number of Israeli deaths occurred in the ranks of this unit.
In recent years, Israel has launched a series of military propaganda campaigns to showcase the diversity in its ranks. Deputy Army Spokesman “Captain Ayla,” an Arab Jew, organized a 2020 tour at the Lebanese–Palestinian border with a Qasasi al-Athar unit officer named Ali Falah, who works within the Northern Brigade, to highlight the perilous nature of their work at point zero.
It seems that the Israeli military employs the same strategies – paying off the families of dead Bedouin troops – with soldiers from the Arab Druze community, who are part of individual formations and battalions or so-called ‘local defense’ in villages near the Lebanese border.
For instance, 70 percent of the 299th Battalion, which is stationed in the Hurfaish area – four kilometers from the Lebanese border – are members of the Druze community. The battalion has incurred casualties on the deadly front, but Israel has only reported one loss to date.
As with many armies facing decline, mercenaries have become a fixture within the ranks of the Israeli armed forces and are active in the combat units of the Israeli army. Many of these enlisted during the Gaza aggression and have been subsequently deployed to the border with Lebanon.
Despite the active involvement of mercenaries, their deaths often go unacknowledged, and their bodies are quietly repatriated without official recognition as fallen soldiers. Evidence suggests that a significant number of them have perished on the border frontlines.
Declining morale: why Israel hides its death toll
The unprecedented events of the Palestinian resistance’s Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on 7 October have cast an ominous shadow over the entire Israel project, sending shockwaves through every facet of society.
With Tel Aviv’s declaration of total war on Gaza and the sudden eruption of conflict on a second front in southern Lebanon, anxiety reached a fever pitch.
The Israeli military understood that waging a full-scale war on two fronts, particularly against Lebanon, where Hezbollah has raised an army of 100,000 and possesses vastly more sophisticated weaponry and training than the resistance in Palestine, posed insurmountable challenges.
In addition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government faces unprecedented pressures from multiple domestic fronts: Israeli prisoners held by the resistance factions, the need to achieve stated war objectives in the Gaza Strip, ‘displacement‘ of hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers in the north, mutiny within his war cabinet, and the catastrophic economic damage resulting from the war.
Consequently, Israel’s security establishment, with the support of the War Council, has pursued a series of policies to address the emerging reality on the northern border, primarily relying on US efforts and diplomatic interventions to return the settlers and free its prisoners – without resorting to military actions that are unlikely to guarantee ideal results.
The pressure from displaced northern settlers, coupled with the growing realization that Hezbollah has imposed a physical, geographic security buffer inside Israel, has heavily influenced the army’s decision to conceal its staggering military losses, both human and material. Tel Aviv does not disclose this data to the public to avoid challenges that may lead to the expansion and uncontrollable escalation of the conflict.
Ratio: quality over depth
In exchange for obscuring its losses, the occupation army seeks to project an image of strength by launching air force raids deep inside Lebanon. These are intended to deter Hezbollah, along with threats by top Israeli officials, such as Chief of Staff and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, who proclaimed in November: “What we’re doing in Gaza, we can also do in Beirut.”
Having already established a ‘kill ratio’ in this war, it is suggested that Hezbollah may be aiming to establish a new ‘qualitative ratio’ in its fight with Israel. This involves Hezbollah carefully selecting qualitative targets such as Israeli barracks and command centers – rather than merely matching Israel’s ‘depth strikes’ in Lebanon – to deter the enemy and achieve its objectives.
To counter Israel’s depth approach, Hezbollah has reframed the equation: it has prioritized ‘qualitative Israeli targets’ over mere geographical distance. This strategic shift was noted in the aftermath of Israel’s attack on the southern suburb of Beirut to assassinate Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau.
In response, the Lebanese resistance targeted a significant and sensitive site near the border – the Meron multi-mission air surveillance base – dealing a substantial blow to its functionality.
Hezbollah’s strategic maneuvers have placed Tel Aviv in a difficult predicament. The resistance’s evolving tactics disrupt the occupation army’s operations, causing confusion and threatening to escalate strikes on quality targets in the event that the war expands.
Strikes targeting specific installations – such as the volley of over 100 rockets against strategic sites in the Golan Heights in return for an Israeli attack on Baalbeck earlier this month – carry profound security implications for Israel.
Hezbollah’s deliberate and rapid retaliation underscores its readiness to confront any incursions into sensitive territories, rewrite the rules of engagement at will, and maintain the delicate balance of power along the border.
Why Hezbollah opened Lebanon’s southern front
When Hezbollah opened a Lebanese front on 8 October last year, its strategic objectives were twofold: to bolster the resistance in Gaza and to sow confusion within the Israeli military on the northern front. This required significant troop movements, the deployment of air defense systems, and heightened air force readiness, as Israel anticipated potential escalation, especially in the initial stages of the conflict.
In addition to this primary objective, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah highlighted another critical point: Israel’s behavior within Lebanon. There was a concern that Tel Aviv might initiate or manipulate the front to align with its own objectives, possibly with a ‘deterrent’ intent.
The overarching objectives of Hezbollah’s strategy included supporting the resistance in Palestine, synchronizing operations with the dynamics of the conflict there, enhancing deterrence against Israeli aggression, and preventing wide-scale attacks. Additionally, Hezbollah aimed to send clear messages through battlefield actions, showcasing the resistance’s intelligence capabilities and versatility in targeting.
The strategy aims to restrain the conflict from expanding to serve Israel’s strategic interests, all while inflicting constant attrition on the enemy forces stationed in the north.
Ultimately, Hezbollah’s approach has resulted in significant losses and costs for the enemy, albeit less than what would be incurred in a full-blown confrontation. Consequently, the Israeli army finds itself ensnared in a front adeptly managed by Hezbollah, where calculations are based on actual losses rather than publicized figures or internal propaganda.
Its remarkable ‘kill ratio’ aside, Hezbollah has raised the stakes for Tel Aviv, which now has to calculate its losses every time it strikes deeper into Lebanese lands. Israel’s misguided depth strategy has now created a Hezbollah ‘quality ratio.’
Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah addresses a memorial service of a senior Hezbollah commander in the southern town of Khirbet Selm (Sunday, January 14, 2024).
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said it clear on Sunday: “We don’t fear war and there are no talks before the war on Gaza ends.”
Addressing a memorial service of the senior commander Wissam Tawil, known as “Hajj Jawad”, the Lebanese resistance leader hit back at the US and Israeli threats to expand the war in the region, especially in Lebanon and Yemen.
Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that Hezbollah has been ready for the war for 99 days, and fear nothing.
His eminence said that the Israeli brigades which the Zionist enemy threatened to send to the border with Lebanon are already defeated and exhausted, using a sarcastic term to respond to such threat: “Hello and welcome!”
As he saluted the resistance in Gaza over its epic steadfastness for 100 days, the Hezbollah leader underlined the huge Israeli human losses in the battles in both Gaza and Lebanon, pointing to the Israeli restrictions on announcing the real number of casualties.
Commenting on the US-UK aggression on Yemen, Sayyed Nasrallah affirmed that US President Joe Biden and his administration will find out that they have committed a folly.
Sayyed Nasrallah, meanwhile, revealed that the information obtained by Hezbollah confirms that the Islamic Resistance in Iraq fired a cruise missile at a sensitive target in the Israeli occupied city of Haifa, and that the Zionist enemy kept silent over the incident.
About the Occasion: “Valiant Hajj Jawad”
Sayyed Nasrallah saluted martyr Tawil as a valiant and calm Hezbollah commander who joined the resistance ranks in 1990 at early age (16 years).
The Hezbollah S.G. then talked about the great contributions of martyr Tawil, whom Sayyed Nasrallah said he would prefer to refer to with his nom du guerre, “Hajj Jawad.”
Senior Hezbollah commander Wissam Tawil, known as Hajj Jawad, who was martyred last week by an Israeli drone strike in his town of Khirbet Selm.
Senior Hezbollah commander Wissam Tawil, known as Hajj Jawad, who was martyred last week by an Israeli drone strike in his town of Khirbet Selm.
“Hajj Jawad took the command of several frontlines of the resistance in south Lebanon until the liberation in 2000. He was one of the commanders in the war against ISIL terrorist group in Syria, a war we have been proud to take part in,” Sayyed Nasrallah said in his televised address via Al-Manar.
“Hajj Jawad left everything behind him as the war started in Lebanon 99 days ago. He went to the frontlines in the south, only going home on the last night before his martyrdom.”
“Epic Steadfastness”
Sayyed Nasrallah praised the Palestinian people and resistance in Gaza as saying: “100 days have passed and Gaza is still holding out. Gaza has been showing an epic steadfastness that is unparalleled in the history.”
He pointed to the Zionist entity’s policy of media blackout, especially regarding the Israeli casualties and losses.
“Israel in this war on Gaza is more restrictive and secretive than any other war. Political commentators, analysts and experts agree that Israel is mired in failure.”
In this context, Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that the Zionist entity have failed to achieve both the implicit and explicit goals of the war on Gaza.
“The implicit goals of the Israeli war are to occupy Gaza, displace the Gazans and to turn the enclave into a beach for the Israeli settlers in Gaza envelope.”
“The Israeli enemy was neither able to eliminate the resistance in Gaza, nor able to eliminate the Hamas government. It is still fighting in Gaza city and Khan Yunis.”
“100 days on the war, rockets are still being fired from northern Gaza towards Tel Aviv and settlements in Gaza envelope,” his eminence said, referring to Gaza resistance’s ability to run the battle.
“Unprecedented Israeli Losses”
Sayyed Nasrallah noted that the Israeli occupation has been covering up its casualties and losses in Gaza since this will lead to a great frustration and cause low morale within the Israeli army and settlers.
“The enemy is still fighting to secure some achievements before moving to the third phase of the war in which it will redeploy its forces.”
His eminence cited Israeli media reports that talked about 4,000 soldiers who have become disabled.
“The Israeli media reports that 4,000 soldiers are now disabled, and that the number could reach 30,000. Brothers and sisters, if this is the case, how many Israeli soldiers have been killed or injured?!”
“According to numbers and figures, the Israeli human cost on all fronts is unprecedented.”
On the other hand, Sayyed Nasrallah noted that the legal case against the Zionist entity at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) “defames the image of the occupation regime and exposes the moral decline of the West over its support to Israel.”
Aggression on Yemen a “Folly”
Meanwhile, the Hezbollah S.G. said that the US and its Western allies worked to thwart the fronts which have been opened in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iraq in support of Gaza.
“The recent aggression on Yemen represents foolishness of both the US and the UK, as it also shows US’ contradiction. While Washington calls for not expanding the war, it is doing so. If Biden and his administration think that Yemen will retreat after the aggression, then they are wrong, suspicious, and ignorant.”
Attendees of the memorial service in Khirbet Selm watch Sayyed Nasrallah via a screen (January 14, 2024).
He affirmed, in this context, that the US aggression won’t stop the Yemeni attacks on Israeli ships and ships bound for the Zionist entity.
“The American aggression will harm the security of maritime navigation in the Red Sea, which will turn into a battlefield, and this is stupidity in itself.”
“Biden and his administration will find out that they have committed a folly by staging an aggression on Yemen.”
Sensitive Haifa Target Being Hit
Sayyed Nasrallah, furthermore, revealed that according to information obtained by Hezbollah, a sensitive target in Haifa was targeted by a cruise missile fired by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.
“The Islamic Resistance in Iraq struck Haifa with a cruise missile, but the Israeli occupation kept the issue a secret.”
Meron Strike
Talking more about the Israeli media blackout on war losses, Sayyed Nasrallah gave another example, by revealing that the Israeli media claimed that Hezbollah struck Meron base, in retaliation for Israeli assassination of Hamas senior official Sheikh Saleh Al-Arouri, with only 40 rockets.
“As the Israeli media reported that only 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Meron base, we confirm that Hezbollah fired 62 rockets and missiles towards the base. 40 of these were Katyusha rockets, while the other 22 were Kornet missiles,” Sayyed Nasrallah said, affirming that 18 out of 22 missiles hit the base inflicting casualties and huge losses upon the Israeli enemy.
“Defeated Brigades”
Hitting back at US and Israeli threats for Lebanon, Sayyed Nasrallah said that similar threats have been made since the start of the war and that they were futile, wondering: “Will they be fruitful now following 100 days of failure and exhaustion?!”
He recalled the epic victory secured by the resistance in Lebanon during the 2006 July war, saying: “Though the Israeli army was fully prepared during July War, it was defeated.”
“The one who should fear the war in Lebanon is ‘Israel’ and the Israeli settlers. As for the resistance in Lebanon, we have been ready for the war for 99 days, we are not afraid of it. We fear nothing, and we will fight without limits and without borders.”
“They threaten us with defeated brigades in Gaza, we say: Hello and welcome.”
Sayyed Nasrallah then warned the US by saying: “The US which presents itself as a neutral player that is keen on Lebanon’s interests has to be concerned about the fate of its puppet in the region, Israel.”
He concluded his statement by stressing that there will be no talks to calm the front in Lebanon before the war on Gaza ends, noting that this also applies on other fronts that erupted in Yemen, Iraq and Syria in support of Gaza.
“Our stance is clear that the front in Lebanon is to support Gaza, and its goal is to stop the aggression on Gaza. The US and the UK, which approached the region, will hear one stance in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq: Stop the war on Gaza.”
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The Israeli circles continued on Monday following up the repercussions of Hezbollah strike which targeted the Zionist surveillance air base located atop Mount Jarmaq (“Meron”), the highest peak in the ’48 occupied Palestine.
The Israeli media outlets indicated that the Israeli army was forced to operate new surveillance systems in order to avoid the complete information blindness in the North, knowing that Hezbollah border attacks have blinded the enemy’s outposts.
The military correspondent Alon Bin David said that the base was damaged by Hezbollah anti-armor missiles, quoting military sources as saying that the army operated more systems.
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A screenshot of a video released by Hezbollah Military Media on January 6, 2024, showing the operation targeting the Israeli “Meron” Intelligence and Airforce base in occupied Palestine. (Military media)
Israeli media continue to show signs of shock at the magnitude of the operation conducted by the Lebanese Resistance, Hezbolla.
The strike on the Israeli “Meron” intelligence and Airforce base, conducted by the Lebanese Resistance group Hezbollah, continues to haunt “Israel”.
The military analyst of Haaretz, Amos Harel, pointed out that what was significant in the operation was the choice of the target itself, namely “Mount Meron”.
Harel provided details about what the “Meron” base includes, stressing that the Northern Air Control Unit is stationed there, and radars track every flight in Syrian and Lebanese airspace. These details are identical to those mentioned by the Resistance group in its statement following the operation.
The military analyst, regarding the escalation on the front with Lebanon, said “Israel” is in a situation where it sees that the intense fire that has been ongoing for three months in the north, which led to the evacuation of the settlements there, “is the least bad option,” indicating that war or wider action with Hezbollah will have worse repercussions for not only the Israeli-occupied north but for all of occupied Palestine.
"Meron" base entered the long list of Israeli targets struck by the Resistance in Northern Occupied #Palestine.
Here's all you need to know about the base which was struck today with 62 rockets and missiles by the Lebanese Resistance.
‘Meron’ saga continues: Iron Dome inapt against Hezbollah’s Kornet EMs
Israeli media outlets pointed out on Sunday that the Israeli army’s “Meron” air control and surveillance airbase was targeted by Hezbollah with an advanced version of Kornet missiles with an effective range of up to 10 km.
The media outlets warned that the Iron Dome, the entity’s state-of-the-art anti-air system, is not designed to deal with this type of threat, cautioning that the Israeli army must find solutions to address this issue.
Israeli media also reported that the army opened an investigation into the attack in an attempt to limit similar incidents and failures, adding that it had admitted to the same damages Hezbollah reported yesterday.
The “Meron” base is one of the most strategic centers for the entire Israeli entity and the primary intelligence and military command hub on the northern front.
It is the sole facility responsible for managing and controlling air operations toward Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, and Cyprus, as well as the northern part of the eastern Mediterranean Sea basin. Moreover, the base acts as a central hub for electronic warfare interference in the mentioned directions, staffed by a significant number of elite Israeli officers and soldiers.
The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon Hezbollah announced on Saturday morning striking the base with 62 missiles and rockets, noting that this was the “initial response” to the Israeli assassination of Hamas’ senior leader Shiekh Saleh al-Arouri and his companions earlier this week in Beirut’s Southern Suburb.
Footage revealed that “Meron” was targeted with a number of guided missiles, later identified as the enhanced Kornet-EM anti-tank guided missile.
Israeli media wondered that although there is no system that could intercept anti-tank missiles on their way to hit “Meron”, it is not clear why the Israeli army did not install fences around such sensitive facilities, as it did along the northern border, claiming that these walls would absorb the impact of the anti-tank missile, cause the warhead to explode, and prevent most, if not all, of the damage to the facilities at the base.
Israeli media also reported that following the targeting of the “Meron” base, the Air Force re-activated the “Tal Shamayim” (“Sky Dew”) spy balloon, which is supposed to provide “Israel” with long-range early warning of any air threats targeting it.
This comes as the head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, Avigdor Lieberman, said, “We must restore Israeli deterrence, which has eroded to zero.”
Hezbollah’s recent operation targeting the Meron Air Base has captured intense scrutiny from the Israeli enemy’s media and circles, highlighting the operation’s field achievements and its broader implications.
Israeli media acknowledged the precision of Hezbollah’s strikes on Meron, emphasizing the lack of a tangible Israeli response and the notable absence of Meron’s air defense system in thwarting the attack.
Describing the operation as a ‘significant blow’ to the Israeli army, the Israeli media underscored the use of various weapons by Hezbollah, including missiles, drones, and anti-armor missiles, striking from a distance exceeding 8 km.
⚡️ Israeli media:
The targeting of Meron Air Base this morning by #Hezbollah was accurate.
The Hebrew newspaper “Yedioth Ahronoth” reported that the video released by Hezbollah revealed precise damage to two domes at the Meron base, signalling severe consequences.
In interpreting the importance of Meron Air Base in Hezbollah’s statement, the media stressed that Hezbollah sought to articulate the substantial toll exacted from the Israeli army. Yedioth Ahronoth writer Nadav Eyal commented on the operation, noting that whoever assumed Hezbollah’s deterrence had waned had overlooked the party’s steadfastness since the conflict’s initiation on October 8.
Additionally, concerns were raised in Zionist media about Hezbollah’s intention to disrupt the northern command’s capabilities, emphasizing the need for vigilance against potential strategic impairments.
Commenting on the operation, an Israeli analyst for Channel 14 highlighted that the Israeli occupation is deliberately hiding the extent of the damage dealt to the intelligence system at the sensitive base yesterday.
Meanwhile, Israeli Walla! news website described Hezbollah’s operation as only a “trailer” of what would happen if the party’s “multidimensional threats expand.”
Former Northern Command commander in the Israeli army, Asher Ben Lulu, offered his perspective on the operation, characterizing Hezbollah’s attack on Meron as a “rare strike on a first-class strategic site.” Lulu criticized Israel’s ambiguous response, emphasizing that clarity in addressing the aftermath of the attack was essential for building deterrence.
Haaretz’ Amos Harel said ‘Israel’ seeks to “avoid escalating Northern hostilities after Hezbollah’s ‘contained’ reaction to Hamas leaders’ killing,” analysing that Hezbollah, at present, seems uninterested in escalating the conflict, “although Israelis who left their homes in the north will likely wait for months before returning.”
Israeli media: "The Israeli Army" is hiding the damage incurred by Meron.
Hezbollah's capabilities cause concern.
Israeli media warn of Hezbollah's capabilities, especially after the operation targeting the air force base in Meron pic.twitter.com/aC8GzvhZXa
The Israeli Media outlets have issued warnings, highlighting the vulnerability of the Iron Dome, the sophisticated anti-air system of the entity, against the specific threat posed by Hezbollah’s recent rocket attack. Concerns have been raised over the system’s limitations in effectively countering this type of threat, prompting a call for the Israeli army to urgently devise solutions to address this security gap.
Israeli media reported that the army has initiated an investigation to examine the incident closely. The investigation aims to identify the causes of the attack, assess potential failures in the system’s response, and formulate strategies to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Remarkably, the Israeli army acknowledged the damages reported by Hezbollah, signifying a rare admission of the impact and effectiveness of the resistance group’s offensive capabilities.
Times of Israel has reported that the Israeli army admitted on Sunday that damage was caused to its air traffic control base on Mount Meron in the Hezbollah missile attack on Saturday.
“The IOF does not elaborate on the damage to the base. But according to Hezbollah’s video, the radar domes were hit,” the Israeli website reported, adding that the army was investigating on the incident.
Following the assassination of Palestinian Resistance leader Sheikh Saleh al-Arouri in Dahiyeh, Hezbollah executed a swift and strategic response by targeting one of the Israeli occupation forces’ critical installations. The focus of this retaliation was the Air Traffic Control Base situated in northern occupied Palestine. Positioned atop Mount Jarmaq, also known as “Meron,” the highest peak in the ’48 occupied territories, the base was subjected to a barrage of 62 rockets launched by the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon.
The precision attack, executed at 8:10 am (local time) on Saturday morning, was specifically aimed at the “Meron” Air Traffic Control Base.
Hezbollah emphasized that this facility holds a unique position as the sole center responsible for managing and monitoring air traffic in the northern occupied territories. Notably, there exists no equivalent alternative to Meron Base, creating a significant operational void for the Israeli occupation forces.
Meron Air Surveillance Base plays a pivotal role in the administration and control of air activities in the northern usurping entity. Mitzpe Ramon in the south serves as the other key base.
Hezbollah fighters hold the Resistance’s flags and Lebanese flags, as they perform during a rally marking the ninth anniversary of the July 2006 victory, in Wadi al-Hujair, South Lebanon, on August 14, 2015. (AP)
The Lebanese Islamic Resistance’s operation comes as an initial response to the assassination of martyr Saleh al-Arouri and his martyred brothers.
The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon – Hezbollah targeted at 7.50 am one of two Israeli occupation forces’ Air Traffic Control Base in northern occupied Palestine, with a barrage of 62 rockets, as an initial response to the assassination of Palestinian Resistance leader, martyr Sheikh Saleh al-Arouri, and his brothers in the Southern Suburb of Beirut.
A statement released by the Resistance said its fighters accurately and successfully targeted the air control base located atop Mount Jarmaq (“Meron”), which constitutes the highest peak in the ’48 occupied Palestine.
The Islamic Resistance in #Lebanon announced that its freedom fighters targeted the Israeli "Meron" Air Traffic Control Base with 62 rockets of various types, causing direct and confirmed hits.
In a statement, the Islamic Resistance said this comes as part of the initial… pic.twitter.com/zM8JTijHCW
The attack was launched at exactly 8:10 am (local time) on Saturday morning, targeting the sole center for the management and monitoring of air traffic in northern occupied territories, the “Meron” Air Traffic Control Base. Hezbollah added that the occupation possesses no equivalent alternative to the bombarded facility.
The “Meron” Airbase organizes, coordinates, and manages all Air Force operations in the direction of Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, and Cyprus, as well as the northern areas of the eastern basin of the Mediterranean Sea. The base is also a main center for Israeli electronic warfare in the aforementioned directions, and it houses elite Israeli officers and soldiers.
Later, as part of the Resistance group’s ongoing operations in support of Gaza, the Resistance fighters targeted the “Metulla” site and a gathering of Israeli occupation soldiers in the vicinity of the Hounin Barracks with appropriate weapons at 9:40 am and 9:55 am respectively, confirming direct hits in both.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah mourned its martyr Mustafa Hassan Saad – Abu Hassan Nour – originating from Bint Jbeil and a resident of the town of Burj al-Shamali in southern Lebanon, who rose as a martyr on the path to al-Quds.
Swift, calculated response
The Resistance faction’s swift and calculated response to “Israel’s” assassination of Hamas’ Deputy Political Bureau Chief in the Southern Suburb of Beirut has been anticipated by supporters of the Axis of Resistance. Hezbollah sticks to its pledge promising further operations in a broader response to the horrific Israeli crime.
Speaking on two different occasions, on Wednesday and Friday, the Secretary General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, reiterated the Resistance’s commitment to response to the “flagrant and dangerous violation,” which he confirmed “will not go unanswered.”
Indeed, Hezbollah’s initial unprecedented attack on the Air Traffic Control Base marks a first, in terms of the Resistance’s confrontation with the Israeli occupation, hitting an integral and sensitive site of the Israeli Air Force. The only other Israeli Air Force Traffic Control Base is located around 250 km to the south, in al-Naqab Desert, dubbed “Mitzpe Ramon” Airbase, as revealed in the statement.
Importantly, Saturday’s statement stressed that the operation was only an initial response to the martyr al-Arouri’s assassination, promising further actions against the occupation. Sayyed Nasrallah had underlined the impact of the treacherous assassination on the military, security, and political level, stressing the significance of the site of the aggression, the Southern Suburb of Beirut.
In this context, the Lebanese Resistance leader emphasized that an encompassing response would be spurred by the assassination and the flagrant security violation in the Southern Suburb, which had not experienced an Israeli strike since 2006.
Sirens go off all over northern Palestine
Earlier on Saturday, Al Mayadeen‘s correspondent reported that a large salvo of rockets was launched from Lebanon toward the occupied upper al-Jalil, indicating that emergency sirens went off across all northern occupied territories.
Our correspondent also revealed that the rocket attack consisted of different types of rockets, as was later confirmed in Hezbollah’s statement.
Israeli media outlets confirmed that drones and rockets were launched from Lebanon targeting an intelligence site of the Israeli military in “Meron”. Alarm sirens sounded in more than 90 settlements in the region, the Israeli Army Radio announced.
Simultaneously, our correspondent in South Lebanon reported that the occupation launched an airstrike targeting the town of Ayta al-Shaab and a drone struck the outskirts of the town of Yaroun.
He also mentioned that Israeli artillery shelled the western outskirts of the towns of al-Teereh and Rsheif, in addition to empty areas between Blida and Aitaroun.
An aerial image of the Israeli army air control and surveillance “Meron” base, revealing advanced radar systems, communication systems, and monitoring equipment.
This is the first time during this battle that Hezbollah strikes Mount “Meron” and its military base serving as the primary security and military command center for aerial warfare and intelligence on the northern front.
In a significant development, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon Hezbollah announced on Saturday morning that it had targeted the Israeli army air control and surveillance “Meron” Base, situated atop Mount Jarmaq.
This attack marked the first time that the base, a strategic center for the entire Israeli entity, and a primary intelligence and military command hub on the northern front, had been targeted during the ongoing border escalations between the Resistance and the occupation army.
“Meron” Base: A hub for Israeli electronic warfare in the region
Located just 8 kilometers from Lebanon’s southern border, “Meron” Base overlooks the Lebanese towns of Rmeish, Yaroun, and Maroun al-Ras in the central sector. It occupies the summit of Mount Jarmaq in northern occupied Palestine, making it the highest peak within the occupied territories.
Sitting at an altitude of approximately 1200 meters above sea level, the base sprawls across an area of up to 150,000 square meters, with a substantial portion of the surrounding areas believed to be under its control for military and intelligence purposes.
According to the Resistance statement released today, “Meron” primarily serves as an aerial surveillance center.
It is the sole facility responsible for managing and controlling air operations toward Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, and Cyprus, as well as the northern part of the eastern Mediterranean Sea basin. Moreover, this base acts as a central hub for electronic warfare interference in the mentioned directions, staffed by a significant number of elite Israeli officers and soldiers.
Mount “Meron”/Jarmaq from the Lebanese town of Yaroun
A report by a specialized research group based in the US state of Texas, which was brought to light by Israeli media months ago, revealed problems in pinpointing the locations of some civilian aircraft in the region, particularly over southern Lebanon and northern occupied Palestine.
After precise monitoring of jamming signals disrupting receivers’ ability to detect satellite waves, “Mount Meron” was determined as the source of interference against civilian GPS devices.
Indeed, satellite-based location systems were entirely disrupted during the first week following the Al-Aqsa Flood operation. Israeli media reported that the disruption was aimed at preventing the Resistance in Lebanon from using devices for precise missile or drone strikes against the entity.
The targeting of “Meron” by Hezbollah holds strategic significance of disrupting, or even with later operations potentially hindering, “Israel’s” ability to conduct precise military strikes.
A center for aerial operations against Lebanon and Syria
Historically, the high-base served as the command center for Israeli aerial operations and surveillance on the northern front of the occupation.
Its geographical position offers direct surveillance of a substantial portion of Lebanese territory and complete oversight, including broadcasting and receiving capabilities. This provides the base with powerful control and communication abilities towards Lebanon. Moreover, for hostile operations against Syria, “Meron” Base is complemented by radar and broadcasting facilities located on the occupied Mount Hermon, overlooking Syrian territories.
In recent years, the base has gained increased significance, especially with the expanded use of military drones.
As “Israel” increasingly relies on UAVs for intelligence gathering in Lebanon and Syria on a nearly daily basis, the base has emerged as the primary command center for aerial operations against both countries. It facilitates direct communication with the drones, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity and making it more challenging to disrupt their signals. The base also streamlines military operations due to the concentration of communication devices, command centers, and radars on “Mount Meron.”
Thanks to its extensive geographical oversight of Lebanese territory, the base can receive and broadcast various wireless communications directly to and from Lebanon. This makes it a critical communication component with informants and a central hub for tracking and monitoring wireless communications, including espionage activities.
The base’s giant advanced cameras and modern monitoring devices provide strategic oversight over a large portion of the line between Lebanon and occupied Palestine. It also covers Israeli sites and their corresponding locations in Lebanon.
Consequently, “Meron” Base plays a pivotal role in intelligence gathering that was previously concentrated in locations in proximity with the Lebanese borders, many of which have been targeted and destroyed by the Resistance in recent weeks.
The strategic base has not been immune to threats since the beginning of the military escalation in southern Lebanon.
Many Israeli analysts have spoken about the possible evolution of the Resistance’s targets list. This is particularly relevant given that Hezbollah previously repeatedly struck the base during the 2006 July war, which resulted in the death of two settlers and the injury of five others, as acknowledged by Israelis.
However, attacking the base today during a period below the threshold of an all-out war constitutes a heavy blow to the entity. Its implications go beyond direct consequences.
The Resistance has meticulously chosen the nature of its targets throughout this period as part of its precise management of the escalation ladder with the Israelis.
Over the past three months, Hezbollah has effectively controlled the pace and general course of events, compelling the Israelis to adhere to its equations.
This applies to the military operations zone, the nature of the strikes within Lebanon, and the deterrence of the occupation from targeting Lebanese civilians within the equation of reciprocity.
However, “Israel’s” assassination of Palestinian Resistance leader Sheikh Saleh Al-Arouri and a number of his comrades in Beirut’s southern suburb (Dahyeh) with missile strikes, prompted Hezbollah to opt for an escalation.
Today’s strike was described by Hezbollah as an “Initial Response” to the assassination of al-Arouri, leaving the door open for potential confrontations should the occupation entity decide to respond to this escalation in kind.
Historical and religious significance
In addition to the military and intelligence critical role it provides to the Israeli entity, the “Meron” Base holds special importance for Zionist Jews, as they consider the mountain itself to be mentioned in the Torah and revere a tomb they claim belongs to a Jewish Rabbi who lived in the second century AD.
Annually, Zionist Jews hold celebrations near his alleged tomb located in the settlement of “Meron” on the eastern slope of the mountain, overlooking the Lebanese side, situated about one and a half kilometers from the mountain’s peak and the base.
Within this settlement, which has a population of approximately 1,500 inhabitants at best, there are several graves and shrines that Zionist Jews claim belong to revered figures. They insist on celebrating there annually because the area holds particular sanctity for Eastern Sephardic Jews.
The settlement was established after the Nakba in 1949 on the ruins of the Palestinian town of Meron. Meanwhile, occupation settlers looted its artifacts and a history dating back about 2,000 years.
It was within this settlement that the largest non-military catastrophe in the history of the occupation occurred in 2021 when grandstands collapsed during religious commemorations attended by settlers. The stampede resulted in the deaths of approximately 50 settlers.
Striking the “Meron” Base with precision-guided missiles marks Hezbollah’s confirmation that it has introduced the latest-generation Kornet E-M missiles into the battle.
These missiles have a range of up to 10 kilometers and were most likely used in the accurate targeting of the base, as indicated by footage recorded by one of the Zionist settlers during the strike today.
The precision targeting of a base of such importance, housing command centers and equipment worth hundreds of millions of dollars and regularly hosting leaders of the occupation’s military, in addition to specialized and elite personnel, is indicative of the base now serving as a prime target for the Resistance. It also signifies that the Israeli entity is facing a genuine predicament.
While its main headquarters in the north is now under imminent threat from Hezbollah, the occupation entity cannot evacuate the base, pushing “Israel” into a very difficult dilemma. Additionally, the Resistance has effectively pushed the front line with the Israeli entity to 8 kilometers inside the occupied Palestinian borders.
Furthermore, Israeli generals had believed that their main headquarters were largely out of the Resistance’s reach and that their war against it was mostly remote, relying on aircraft and drones. This has changed after the operation today.
Most importantly, given the base’s role in operating and coordinating air strikes, the base is a central target to respond to the occupation army for assassinating al-Arouri earlier this week.
Therefore, it can be concluded that the “calamity of the occupation is great” today, as the military leadership’s headquarters in the north has been targeted. This means that the Resistance has placed the ball in the court of the Israeli army and its government.
Israelis must choose between remaining silent in the face of this humiliating and perilous strike, or heading toward a response, the repercussions and limits of which they do not know.
استهدفت #المقاومة_الإسلامية في لبنان، عند الساعة 08:10 من صباح اليوم، قاعدة ميرون للمراقبة الجوية بـ 62 صاروخًا من أنواع متعدّدة وأوقعت فيها إصابات مباشرة ومؤكّدة، ووفق بيان المقاومة، يأتي ذلك في إطار الرد الأوّلي على جريمة اغتيال الشيخ صالح العاروري وإخوانه في #الضاحية_الجنوبية… pic.twitter.com/gtYUKZjjYn
Scenes from Hezbollah’s attack on Meron. (Photo: video grab)
On Friday, the leader of the Lebanese Resistance group Hezbollah had vowed retaliation against Israel for its assassination, on Lebanese soil on January 2, of a top Hamas leader, Saleh al-Arouri, and other leading members of the group.
The first wave of Hezbollah’s response arrived on Saturday in the form of an unprecedented attack on the Israeli Meron air surveillance military base in northern Israel.
Scenes from the unprecedented carried out by the Lebanese Resistance movement Hezbollah on the Israeli Meron air surveillance base in northern Israel.
Hezbollah published this video on its Telegram channel, hours after the attack, with the following text:
“Video: Scenes from the operation by the Islamic Resistance targeting the “Meron” air surveillance base belonging to the Israeli enemy army in the north of occupied Palestine.
“Notes:
“0:18 –
Meron Base – YABA 506
– Located about 8 km from the Lebanese border.
– Its elevation is 1200 meters above sea level.
– The base covers an area of 160,000 square meters.
“0:27 –
– A central hub for administration, monitoring, and air traffic control in the north of the usurping entity.
– Its mission includes organizing, coordinating, and managing air operations towards Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, and the northern basin of the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
“0:37 –
– A major center for electronic jamming operations in the northern direction.
– The base is staffed by numerous elite zionist officers and soldiers.
“0:47 –
– Equipped with long-range surveillance and detection radars.
– Includes a control room for managing reconnaissance drones.
– Contains a collection of digital communication systems.
“0:58 – A dome for controlling drones.
“1:00 – Domes for long-range radar collection.
“1:02- Antennas for intelligence, guidance, and communication.”
UPROOTED PALESTINIANS: SALAM ALQUDS ALAYKUM 
