Abdel Raouf Arnaout and Mohammad Sio
02 April 2026•Update: 02 April 2026
JERUSALEM
Two Israelis were injured, and a building was damaged, on Thursday after rockets fired from Lebanon struck northern Israel, local media reported.
Channel 12 said that more than 30 rockets were launched toward the Galilee region within a short time, bringing the total number of rockets fired since midnight to around 50.
Israel’s public broadcaster KAN said two people sustained “minor” injuries after rockets fell in the settlement of Kiryat Shmona, adding that a building was also damaged.
Hezbollah said it targeted the settlements of Avivim, Metula, and Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel twice in succession with rockets.
The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said about 80 rockets from Lebanon was detected targeting settlements in northern Israel amid ongoing blare of air raid sirens.
Separately, Israel’s Defense Minister Katz cautioned Hezbollah that it would face a “heavy price” following the barrage of rockets from Lebanon toward northern Israel, according to an Israeli Defense Ministry statement.
The defense minister delivered the warning during a security briefing in Tel Aviv attended by Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and senior intelligence officials, the ministry said.
“I have a clear message: You and your colleagues will pay a heavy price for escalating fire on Israeli civilians while they celebrate Passover,” Katz said, addressing Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem.
Hezbollah has not immediately responded to the statement.
The attacks come as Iran’s military threatened to launch “stronger, wider, and more destructive” attacks against the US and Israel, rejecting President Donald Trump’s claims that its capabilities have been significantly weakened.
The warning came hours after Trump said in a televised address from the White House that Iran had “very few” missile launchers left and that its ability to launch missiles and drones had been “dramatically curtailed.”
Trump said he expects the war to continue for another two to three weeks but believes the conflict is approaching an end.
Tensions in the region have escalated since Israel and the US launched a joint offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, resulting in more than 1,340 deaths, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and infrastructure damage while disrupting global markets and aviation.
*Writing by Lina Altawell
