A holiday interrupted: Israel faces attacks from Lebanon amid rising tensions with Hezbollah

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

On Saturday, Israel attempted to commemorate Yom Kippur, recalling a time more than 50 years ago when it fought the October War against Egypt and Syria, a conflict that Tel Aviv referred to as the Yom Kippur War.

This year, the holiday was disrupted by events in Lebanon, as sirens sounded across a wide area of northern towns near the border, reaching Upper and Lower Galilee, Western Galilee, and even Haifa and its surrounding areas, coinciding with the sound of explosions.

The situation forced Israelis to seek shelter in bunkers and safe rooms, with hundreds leaving their homes due to unprecedented warning messages distributed by Hezbollah on Friday night.

During this time, amid the darkness, residents of Herzliya, near Tel Aviv, also evacuated after a drone launched from Lebanon struck the city, marking the first such incident to reach this distance inside Israel, according to the Israeli army.

Many injuries were reported, affecting the central electricity grid, a residential building, and infrastructure, leading to several fires.

From night until morning, the electricity company was unable to repair the damage, while fire trucks remained in the streets of the city throughout the holiday night.

In the midst of the emergency and threats from Israeli leadership to escalate the fighting in Lebanon, a dissent movement began among reserve soldiers after 130 of them signed a petition refusing orders to return to their military bases and participate in the war, whether in Lebanon or Gaza.

This protest was against the ongoing Gaza war and the continued captivity of one hundred hostages held by Hamas, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's military efforts appear to be opening on all fronts.