Rolling update:

In response to the massive rocket barrage across northern Israel, the IDF, in an unusual announcement, said “We are prepared for an extreme reaction in Lebanon and it will happen faster than expected.”

08:00 update: Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorists have fired a series of tremendous barrages of rockets across northern Israel, starting at 01:00 and continuing until the morning.

There are initial reports of damage, and several casualties after more than 100 long-range rockets hit areas from the Haifa vicinity, across the Upper and Lower Galilee, around the Sea of Galilee, and the central Golan.

Several people were wounded in the attacks and were hospitalized, according to health authorities.

“A multi-arena war: Against the background of the escalation against Hezbollah and the new phase in the war with it, the security establishment’s eyes are also on several other arenas – Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen and of course Gaza, in terms of aerial threats,” according to Ch. 14 reporter, Hillel Biton Rosen.

Private homes in several communities sustained major impact and fire damage in the repeated volleys, with fire department teams trying to dose the flames.

“From the middle of the night until the last barrage a short time ago to the [Haifa area] Kriyot and the Jezreel Valley, Hezbollah launched 25 rockets in 3 barrages, which were intercepted by the air defense system. The IDF says that there was no damage to the Ramat David base and that all the rockets were intercepted. Fragments of an intercept fell, including in a barn in Beit Sha’arim,” according to reporter Kan Ch. 11 News military reporter, Itai Blumenthal.

“The IDF closed Al Jazeera’s offices in Ramallah tonight, at the direction of the political echelon and in accordance with legal advice, after it was determined that the channel’s broadcasts harm the security of the state,” the IDF Spokesman said.

In the eastern Golan and north of Eilat, IDF forces said they shot down several explosive UAVs, possibly launched from Iraq or Yemen.

Iron Dome defensive interceptors firing at incoming rockets in the central Galilee:

The first volley of some 10 heavy payload rockets hit shortly after 01:00, the second shortly before 05:00, and the third shortly thereafter. Barrages have continued intermittently since.

Update: the IDF says that ten rockets were fired into Israel in the initial salvo, with nine being shot down by Iron Dome defensive interceptors.

The numbers in the second and third volleys are unknown as of this posting, although we can clearly hear the series of near and distant thuds from our location in the central Galilee.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF officials were in session in Tel Aviv at the Kiriya Defense Ministry during the first wave of attacks.

Earlier, Saturday night, the IDF imposed exceptional strictures across northern Israel from Haifa northwards, closing schools and limiting gatherings in public areas and warned over a million residents to remain close to shelter, fearing such an attack.

Hearing many jets overhead as I update this post from our safe room in the Galilee; initial reports as of 02:00 say the IDF is forcefully striking Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.

The roar of IDF aircraft continued throughout the night, as planned and other aerial vehicles retaliated at launchers and other targets within Lebanon.

Hezbollah “took responsibility” for trying to hit the Ramat David airbase, although there have not been any reports so far of damage to the strategic facility.

“Let’s recall that exactly two months ago, at the end of July, Hezbollah published a video that it filmed using a drone gathering [footage] over the air force base at Ramat David. In the video, Hezbollah took pictures of the takeoff and landing routes, took pictures of helicopters that were on the ground, and also claimed that it managed to reveal the details of the base commander Col. A. Tonight – the base that was photographed at the time – was the target of Hezbollah missiles,” noted GLZ Israel Army radio reporter, Doron Kadosh.

This post will be updated in realtime as events dictate, so check back in coming hours so subscribe and bookmark this page.

Dave Bender is an AP-award-winning “ever-recovering” radio reporter, multimedia producer, photo/videographer, and pro beekeeper, Dave is happily settled with his wife and family in Israel for 4 decades. My articles, features, photos, ruminations, and rants can be followed on his substack or Davebender.com