Hezbollah drones, rocket strikes spark widespread panic: Sirens blare as Israeli towns enter maximum emergency

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

From the farthest corners of Haifa to the northernmost regions, including the Golan Heights and Tiberias, sirens continuously blared across Israel on Wednesday.

Drones and rockets launched by Hezbollah inundated a vast area that had not been targeted since the beginning of the war. 

In Tiberias, rockets and drones turned Israelis' first day of holiday celebrations into panic, plunging residents into a state of emergency as they sought refuge in safe places.

Thirty-two Israeli settlements and towns in the north, including Safed, Nahariyya, and Acre, entered a state of maximum emergency. 

Israel considered Haifa to be at the greatest risk due to the presence of chemical materials, oil refineries, and the port containing flammable substances.

This situation threw political leaders, the military, and air defense into disarray. 

Officials admitted Israel's inability to counter the drones and the lack of systems capable of detecting them, while Hezbollah was able to achieve its goals due to Israeli radars failing to detect the drones from their launch until they hit the target.

The military announced on its radio channel that it was encountering significant challenges in intercepting drones due to their size, the distance they traveled before reaching their targets, and the terrain of the targeted areas.

This has prompted the military to work on developing advanced technological means, drawing lessons, and benefiting from drone warfare on multiple fronts worldwide.

A report revealed that a war with Lebanon would, in addition to posing a danger to the home front, cause an unprecedented economic crisis in Israel, including direct military spending and the evacuation of northern residents up to the city of Haifa, security experts ruled out the possibility of the government expanding the conflict.

Meanwhile, residents and town leaders warned that the current situation might lead to the north "disappearing from the Israeli map" if most residents decide not to return after the complete collapse of the economy and security.

Thus, confusion engulfs the northern front just as it does the southern front with Gaza.