Tensions escalate as Israeli strikes target Hezbollah leader, northern residents threaten border breach

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

Despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes and the military’s claim of assassinating Ahmad Adnan Bajija, a Hezbollah Radwan Force commander, in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, protests erupted in northern Israeli towns. 

Local mayors and residents voiced their anger, threatening to breach what they referred to as the "imaginary border."

A spokesperson for one of the northern municipalities emphasized the frustration of local leaders, while an official from the Prime Minister’s Office attempted to reassure residents. 

The official stated that the Israeli army would not withdraw from the five positions it has taken in Lebanon or Syria. 

Meanwhile, the military adjusted its target list and redeployed troops along the border, reinforcing its presence even in residential areas.

Video footage from the region showed an increased military presence, with officials declaring that all towns within 10 kilometers of the Lebanese border are now considered unsafe.

The army chief, who has been touring northern Israel, ordered intensified military drills simulating various scenarios involving Lebanon. 

The exercises, which will resume on Sunday, include training for a potential surprise attack from Lebanon.

The military drills, which began Wednesday, involved multiple security agencies, the Israeli army’s 91st and 146th divisions, the Air Force, paratroopers, firefighters, and the Homeland Security Directorate.

However, they were met with backlash from northern residents, who accused the government of neglect. 

Protesters claimed that funds originally allocated for their protection had been redirected to religious communities in an effort to prolong the political survival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition partners, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.