2 Injured In Galilee After 34 Rockets Fired From Lebanon, Security Cabinet Mulls Israeli Response

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Two people were brought to the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya on Thursday for treatment for injuries caused by the barrage of 34 rockets launched at Israel from Lebanon.

Razi Bieber (26), from the Western Galilee Druze community of Yanuh-Jat, was struck by shrapnel while riding a motorcycle and drove to the hospital on his own.

“I saw the explosion itself and continued to the hospital, in case more rockets would fall in the area,” said Bieber, who was lightly to moderately injured. “I felt a hit in my shoulder from the shrapnel and I didn’t want to stop. I rushed and I got to the hospital as fast as I could.”

Jamal Aasi, a 19-year-old man from Fassuta, a Christian Arab village north of Meron, was struck by shrapnel while driving in his car. He was lightly injured, and was later released from the hospital. Footage shows shrapnel from the rocket falling on the roof of his car. “It fell on the car and I stopped, I was just scared. I shouted to my neighbors and family members to come, it was really close to the house,” said Aasi.

“I felt pain in my shoulder and right arm, I knew I was hit by the shrapnel. I got out of the car and they helped me get into the house, because they were still firing rockets,” he added. He described how he heard the red alert siren while driving, which caused him to decide to quickly drive home. “I was driving home and on the way it just fell on me.”

34 rockets were fired at Israel from Lebanon today, the first day of Pesach. The Israeli security cabinet has convened to decide how to respond to the rocket attacks from Lebanon on Thursday and from Gaza on Wednesday. It is unclear whether the response will be on both fronts or will focus on Gaza, as Israel may not wish to open a front with Lebanon, which has largely been quiet for the 17 years since the 2006 Second Lebanon War.

Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich said that “The State of Israel will not tolerate attacks against its citizens, and our enemies will regret it. The required goal is to strike a severe blow to terrorism and to restore Israel’s military deterrence.”