Hezbollah said a rocket barrage struck the northern community of Misgav Am on Sunday, killing at least one person—the first reported northern Israeli fatality linked to fire from Lebanon since fighting reignited earlier this month. Israeli emergency services say two vehicles were hit and one occupant was later pronounced dead. Israel has reinforced troops in southern Lebanon and ordered accelerated demolition of homes and bridges it says are used by Hezbollah. Claims by Israel that it killed a Radwan Force commander and a Hamas operative in separate strikes remain unverified.
Hezbollah Rocket Strike Kills One In Northern Israel As Israel Intensifies Campaign In Lebanon
Smoke rises following Israeli bombardment on southern Lebanon near the border as seen from the Upper Galilee in northern Israel on March 18, 2026 [AFP]
An attack claimed by Hezbollah on Sunday killed at least one person in northern Israel, the first reported fatality in that area linked to fire from Lebanon since cross‑border fighting escalated earlier this month.
What Happened
Hezbollah said the group launched a "rocket barrage" aimed at "a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers" in the northern community of Misgav Am. Israel’s ZAKA 360 emergency response unit said a person was pronounced dead after a vehicle was struck by what it described as a rocket fired from Lebanon.
Local firefighters reported that two vehicles were engulfed in flames after a "direct hit." Paramedics from Magen David Adom said: "We arrived at the scene and saw two vehicles on fire. During the firefighters’ extinguishing operations, we identified a man in the driver’s seat," adding that he was later pronounced dead. The identity of the deceased has not been released.
Broader Context
The incident comes as Israel has sent additional troops to support ground operations in southern Lebanon. Lebanese authorities say more than 1,000 people have been killed and roughly one million displaced since the latest round of violence began in early March; they report at least 1,024 killed and 2,740 injured in Israeli attacks since March 2.
On Sunday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he had ordered the military to speed up demolition of homes in southern Lebanon and to destroy additional bridges over the Litani River to prevent what he described as Hezbollah movement and threats to Israel. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have instructed Israeli forces to immediately destroy all the bridges over the Litani River that are used for terrorist activity," Katz said in a statement.
Israeli air raids reportedly struck houses and shops in the southern Lebanese district of Tyre on Sunday. Hezbollah said its fighters repeatedly targeted Israeli soldiers and vehicles in and near border towns such as Taybeh and Khiam.
Claims Of Targeted Strikes
The Israeli military said it killed a commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, Abu Khalil Barji, and two other Hezbollah members in a strike in the Majdal Selem area of southern Lebanon. It also said it struck and killed a man it described as a Hamas operative in Lebanon, naming him as Walid Muhammad Dib and accusing him of financing Hamas activities and recruiting operatives; Israel said that strike was carried out at the direction of the Shin Bet intelligence agency.
Both Israeli claims regarding the targeted killings could not be independently verified.
Note On Reporting
Details remain fluid. Casualty and operational claims come from Israeli and Lebanese authorities and from Hezbollah; independent verification is limited under current conditions on the ground.
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