Hezbollah launches 1st drone attack on Israeli Defense Ministry HQ in Tel Aviv

Hezbollah said Wednesday that it targeted the headquarters of the Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv with a squadron of drones, in the first such attack since the outbreak of cross-border warfare between the two sides last year.

In a statement, the Lebanese group said that it fired a squadron of advanced precision-guided drones at Kirya base in Tel Aviv, “hitting its targets accurately.”

Hezbollah said the Kirya base houses the headquarters of Defense Ministry, the General Staff, the War Command Center, and the air force's control and surveillance authority.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli authorities on the attack.

Tension has escalated since Israel launched a massive air campaign on Lebanon since late September against what it claims are targets of Hezbollah in an escalation from year-long cross-border warfare between Israel and the Lebanese group since the start of Israel's brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023.

Nearly 3,300 people have been killed, over 14,200 injured and more than 1 million people displaced by the Israeli attacks since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Israel on Oct. 1 expanded the conflict by launching an incursion into southern Lebanon.