Along Israel’s northern border, increasing Hezbollah attacks raise fears of a second front in the war
On their fruit farm in Israel's north, less than two kilometres from the border with Lebanon, brothers Nadav and Adam Ishach keep a grim souvenir of the last war that raged here.
Back in 2006, a Katyusha rocket was fired onto their property in Betzet by Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed militia group that operates out of Lebanon and is again threatening war with Israel. The missile destroyed buildings and started a fire, but fortunately didn't hurt anyone.
The brothers dragged bits and pieces of its motor and crumpled casing out for a CBC News crew to see during a recent visit.
In the past two weeks, rocket and artillery attacks from Lebanon have been intensifying, leading many to fear Israel's war with Hamas may spread beyond Gaza to other fronts.
The brothers are hoping their souvenir is the only missile they ever encounter. But they're not taking any chances: Their families have already evacuated in anticipation of fighting in Israel's north, far from Gaza.
Looking from the brothers' farm, the border separating Israel from Lebanon is marked by a concrete wall that zigzags along a mountain.
"It's really scary," said Nadav. He pointed out the zigzag concrete wall delineating the border between the two countries on a nearby hillside.
"We feel like they're testing us because they [Hezbollah] see civilians and they shoot a missile," he said.
In the last 48 hours, attacks across the border on Israeli communities and military positions have gone from sporadic to incessant.
Thursday night's barrage of nine rockets and two anti-tank missiles represents the worst escalation of violence in the area in 17 years.
A spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said about 30 rockets were fired from Lebanon toward Israeli positions near the border area of Mount Dov. He said Israel's retaliation hit a unit of militants, killing three.
Hezbollah on Sunday announced the deaths of six fighters, raising to 26 the number of its members killed since the latest bout of fighting began.
At least 4,137 Palestinians have been killed in the war to date, including more than 1,500 children, Palestinian officials say. Israel says more than 1,400 of its citizens have been killed. Several Canadians have also died in the conflict.
While Hezbollah is the largest pro-Iran militia group operating in the border area, it is not the only one. A branch of Hamas in Lebanon claimed responsibility for attacks on Thursday into the city of Shmona that injured three people.
On Friday morning, in an indication of how seriously Israel's military takes the possibility of a full-blown war on its northern border, it announced that the 20,000 residents of Shmona would be evacuated over the next couple of days.
"We've heard a lot of explosions, a lot of sirens. It's really terrifying," said Adam Ishach. He pointed out a blackened area on the hillside near the farm where he says a Hezbollah rocket struck and caused a small fire a day earlier.
Israel expanded planned evacuations of communities on its northern front with Lebanon on Sunday as cross-border clashes with Hezbollah fighters intensified.
After enacting a plan last week to move residents out of 28 border-area villages, and the nearby town of Kiryat Shmona, with state-funded temporary accommodation, Israel's defence ministry said it was adding 14 communities to the list.
The town's streets are eerily deserted. The only people remaining are those like the Ishach brothers who have to stay behind to keep their businesses going.
"If a fire comes near my farm, who is going to put it out ?" asked Nadav.
"We have fruit there that has to be picked and it's a business that has to keep going. We have animals, we have horses — I cannot just walk out on them."
The threat Hezbollah poses
The 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War lasted just over a month. It left more than 1,600 Lebanese civilians dead; 121 Israel soldiers and 44 civilians were also killed.
Canada and many other Western countries have already warned their citizens to leave Lebanon while commercial flights are still available.
Both Hezbollah and Hamas, which carried out the Oct. 7 attacks against communities in southern Israel, are designated as terrorist entities by Canada's government.
Hezbollah, however, is more powerful and dangerous.
Israeli soldiers walk on a road near the Israel border with Lebanon amid heightened tensions Thursday.
It is a key political player in Lebanon's government, and its leaders claim it can field an army of 100,000 fighters. Western officials believe the militia has stockpiled thousands of long-range missiles that are accurate and powerful enough to destroy high rises in Israeli cities.
Iran's foreign minister warned on Oct. 16 that if Israel's bombing of Gaza continues, "alliance forces" in the region could carry out a "pre-emptive" action.
In a briefing Friday, Israeli Lt.-Col. Richard Hecht indicated that even as the intensity of the Hezbollah attacks increases, Israel will keep its response proportionate.
"It's a hot zone. Every time they shoot, we shoot back," he said.
Hecht said the calculation would change if Hezbollah uses what he referred to as "long-rangers" — missiles aimed at striking beyond the border area.
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