The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated on Saturday as Israeli warplanes launched a series of intensified airstrikes across southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel. 

Sirens blared in several towns across northern Israel, including Meron, Malakiyya, Dishon, Ramot Naftali, and Yiftah in the Galilee region, amid fears of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) infiltration from Lebanon. In response, Israeli warplanes carried out numerous airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions across southern Lebanon, reportedly launching more than 50 airstrikes in under 40 minutes. The air raids targeted valleys, riverbeds, and strategic Hezbollah positions.

Simultaneously, Israeli drones flew at low altitudes over Jezzine, conducting surveillance, while extensive reconnaissance operations covered most of southern Lebanon. 

Hezbollah responded by launching a barrage of rockets from southern Lebanon. The militant group claimed responsibility for attacking Israeli military installations, including a missile defense base of Israel’s northern command, as well as reconnaissance battalions and command centers belonging to the Golani Brigade and various divisions. These rocket attacks caused sirens to ring across northern Israel and the Golan Heights. Some 90 rockets were launched, landing in areas such as Idmit in the western Galilee and Birya near Safed. Fires erupted due to the strikes, prompting firefighting efforts across multiple locations, though several rockets were intercepted.

Israeli media reported further attacks on northern settlements, including "Mahanaim," "Hatzor HaGlilit," and "Ayellet HaShahar," where rockets landed without triggering sirens. Hezbollah also claimed to have launched rockets from the southern Lebanese town of Hanin.

The Israeli Air Force responded with even more aggressive airstrikes, focusing on the Nabatieh, Iqlim al-Tuffah, and western Bekaa regions. Over 111 airstrikes were carried out across various locations. 

These airstrikes caused significant damage to infrastructure, setting off large explosions and producing thick smoke over southern towns. Fires also broke out in forests and valleys, particularly in the Nmeiriyeh-Zefta region, as a result of the strikes. Civil defense teams were deployed to extinguish the fires under challenging conditions due to difficult terrain.

The National News Agency reported that Israeli drones dropped incendiary bombs, causing fires between Qlaileh, Hanineh, and Zebqin, south of Tyre. Fires also erupted in the forests between Ghazieh and Deir Zahrani due to the airstrikes, with local volunteers, firefighters, and civil defense teams working together to contain the blazes.

The Public Health Ministry confirmed that an Israeli airstrike on Mount al-Qatrani severely injured one person, who was subsequently admitted to intensive care. Additionally, three people in western Bekaa were injured and treated for minor wounds.

In the town of Hasbaya, a one-ton bomb dropped by an Israeli warplane landed on a main road but failed to explode. Lebanese army units successfully defused the bomb, which had fallen during a series of intense Israeli airstrikes in the region.

By the end of the day, the Israeli army reported destroying around 180 Hezbollah targets and thousands of rocket launch sites in southern Lebanon. Israeli artillery also shelled parts of southern Lebanon, and Israeli military officials vowed to continue targeting Hezbollah infrastructure to limit the group’s ability to strike Israel.

Israeli media indicated that military operations extended to the Litani River region, about 30 kilometers from the border. An Israeli Hermes drone reportedly crashed off the Lebanese coast, while an Israeli Air Force plane dropped a bomb into the sea off Tyre due to a technical malfunction.