A drone strike on an Israeli army base in northern Israel has left four soldiers dead and 58 injured, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The base, located near the town of Binyamina, roughly 20 miles south of Haifa, was the target of the attack.
Seven soldiers suffered severe injuries, and the IDF reported that the strike was one of the largest against an Israeli military installation in more than a year. Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group, claimed responsibility for the strike, stating that it was carried out in response to recent Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon and Beirut.
Hezbollah’s media office confirmed that the group had launched a “swarm of drones” to carry out the attack on a training camp belonging to the IDF’s Golani Brigade, situated between Tel Aviv and Haifa. The use of multiple drones highlights an escalation in Hezbollah’s tactics.
The Israeli ambulance service, Magen David Adom (MDA), initially reported that 61 people had been injured, including three in critical condition. However, the IDF later confirmed that the death toll included four soldiers, and there were discrepancies in the reports regarding the number of critically injured victims.
Drone Strike on Israeli Army Base Claims Four Lives and Leaves Dozens Injured
Israeli censorship laws initially restricted media outlets from reporting details of the attack, but the IDF later confirmed the location of the strike as the Binyamina base. Some media reports suggested that the drones used in the attack were relatively low-tech, launched from Lebanon, and may not have triggered early-warning systems.
This raises concerns about the effectiveness of Israel’s defense systems in detecting and responding to such drone attacks, which have become an increasingly common tactic in regional conflicts.
Emergency response teams, including helicopters and ambulances, quickly transported the wounded to hospitals across northern Israel. Many of the casualties were evacuated to Hillel Yaffe Medical Centre in Hadera, with others taken to hospitals in Tel Hashomer, Haifa, Afula, and Netanya.
The quick response from medical personnel helped address the injuries of those affected, but details of the incident remain sparse as authorities continue to investigate the exact circumstances surrounding the attack.
Images circulating on social media show the aftermath of the strike, including footage of an empty mess hall with a hole in the roof, suggesting that many of the soldiers were caught by surprise while dining. The attack has added to the escalating tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, particularly in light of recent Israeli strikes in Lebanon, and is likely to prompt further military responses in the ongoing conflict.
