A Hezbollah rocket hit the Avot Ubanim synagogue complex in in Haifa’s Carmel quarter just one hour after Shabbat prayers ended. The rocket caused significant damage but there were no injuries as nobody was inside the building at the time of the attack.
Damage was caused to vehicles, a building, electric power lines, and a synagogue. Another rocket hit a building at a separate site.
“This is divine providence,” Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav told Israel Hayom.
“There were no people in the synagogue, but in the surrounding buildings there were people who experienced a significant blast,” he said. “But as I said, most of the damage is not physical. There’s damage in many apartments, mainly windows. Some vehicles were also burned.”
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit reported on that Hezbollah fired at least ten rockets toward Haifa on Saturday with only some of them being intercepted by the Iron Dome. MDA paramedics evacuated five people to Rambam Health Care Campus after they suffered light injuries while running for shelter. A sixteen-year-old girl suffered shock.
Multiple fires and widespread power outages were reported in Haifa and the Carmel Center.
A total of 80 projectiles were fired at Israel over the course of Shabbat. On Sunday morning, 20 rockets were launched at the Haifa Bay and Western Galilee regions. Only some of the projectiles were intercepted.
Sirens also sounded in Acre and the Upper Galilee during the morning hours.
The IDF is removing military roadblocks near the border with Lebanon, Army Radio reported on Sunday. The move is in preparation for the potential return of displaced residents to their homes, according to the report.
“The reality in the north has changed. There are no longer areas where travel is impossible. There’s no need for detour routes anymore—civilians can now drive on these roads. Traffic is unrestricted due to the IDF’s control within Lebanese territory,” military sources told the news outlet.
On Saturday night, the IDF declared the areas of Metula and Kfar Yuval in northern Israel closed military zones. Entry is prohibited for civilians until Sunday night.
