Hezbollah Haifa ops. spark fear in 'Israel'; no sign of surrender
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Hezbollah’s intensified strikes on Haifa have emptied streets and sent settlers into shelters, fueling fears among Israeli officials.
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An image showing smoke rising after Hezbollah strikes hit occupied Haifa in northern occupied Palestine on October 7, 2024. (Social media)
Israeli occupation reserve Major General Moshe Elad commented that "Hezbollah will not surrender, kneel, or raise the white flag."
Speaking to the Israeli news channel Kan TV, he added that "Hezbollah feels they are in good shape; they are firing, hitting targets, and causing damage."
Elad anticipated an eventual agreement but noted it "will not lead to the humiliation of Hezbollah in Lebanon or the Arab world."
Israeli officials in Haifa fear Hezbollah’s intensifying operations
Israeli officials in the occupied city of Haifa have expressed growing concerns over the increasing number of missile salvos and drones launched by Hezbollah targeting and striking the Israeli-occupied city.
Israeli media reported that Hezbollah is fulfilling its warning that "what applies to Kiryat Shmona will apply to Haifa," as it showers the city with rockets and drones, sending settlers into shelters.
The Israeli site Walla reported that "Hezbollah’s rate of fire toward Haifa is escalating, and residents fear that the worst is yet to come," noting that everyone has been wary of the unknown.
Yona Yahav, head of the occupied Haifa local authority, told the media, "The atmosphere on the streets is disheartening—everything is empty, traffic is minimal, commerce is nowhere near normal, and people are afraid to leave their homes. Small hotels in the city are on the brink of collapse."
He also spoke about an emerging trend of settlers leaving the city, noting, "Negative migration from Haifa is beginning to surface," adding, "War has brought nothing good, and I don’t know where it will lead us."
Walla also cited officials in Haifa who described it as a "city under constant rocket fire," confirming that "places are empty, people are desperate, and they live in existential fear, feeling despondent and voicing complaints."
They further noted that "businesses along Haifa’s coastline are shut down, and people are seeking alternatives as emigration to other countries rises."
Haifa will follow foot with Kiryat Shmona and Metulla
Throughout the past month, Israeli officials and media have been reporting non-stop sirens in Haifa, its empty streets, and how the rocket barrages have inflicted direct damage across the area.
It’s worth noting that martyred Resistance leader and former Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, had earlier warned the Israeli occupation in his speech on July 17, in commemoration of Ashura, that the occupation "won’t face a shortage of tanks if they attempt to invade southern Lebanon—because it will have no tanks left."
This statement followed the Israeli occupation army’s first acknowledgment of a tank shortage due to damages sustained on both the Gaza and northern fronts.
At the time, Sayyed Nasrallah affirmed that the occupation’s escalation in targeting civilians would lead the Resistance to respond with rocket strikes on new settlements not previously targeted.
The Islamic Resistance Command confirmed this statement after the martyrdom of the Secretary-General, stating that continued Israeli aggression across Lebanon would render occupied Haifa and other areas "like Kiryat Shmona, Metula, and other border settlements."
Read more: Hezbollah forces Israeli troops' withdrawal from Khiam, South Lebanon
