IDF reports Hezbollah drone incidents

Israel’s military said on Friday, May 15, that several Hezbollah drones crossed into northern Israel and struck near the Lebanon border, setting off sirens in Western Galilee communities. The military said there were no injuries in the incidents. The reports came a day after Hezbollah said it had targeted Israeli troops near Rosh HaNikra with a drone, and as Israel and Lebanon were holding U.S.-mediated talks in Washington. On Friday, Washington said the two sides had agreed to extend their ceasefire by 45 days. ### Where did the drone incidents happen on Friday? The Western Galilee was the area placed on alert on Friday, according to the Israeli military account carried by local media. The Times of Israel reported that several explosive drones launched by Hezbollah struck Israeli territory close to the border with Lebanon after sirens sounded in several communities. No injuries were reported. (timesofisrael.com) Rosh HaNikra, on Israel’s Mediterranean border with Lebanon, has been a repeated flashpoint this week. Hezbollah said on Thursday, May 14, that it had targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers at the Rosh HaNikra site with a drone. ### What did the Israeli military and Hezbollah each say? The Israeli military said Friday’s drones entered Israeli territory and triggered alerts, and that there were no casualties, according to the Times of Israel report citing the military. (timesofisrael.com) The same outlet reported that the drones struck near the border. Hezbollah said on May 14 that it had carried out a drone attack against Israeli troops in northern Israel. (english.alarabiya.net) Al Arabiya, citing Reuters, reported that Hezbollah described the target as a gathering of soldiers at Rosh HaNikra. ### Is this part of a broader pattern this week? May 12 brought a Reuters report that Hezbollah and Israel had been stepping up what Reuters described as a drone war in Lebanon, with repeated unmanned aircraft attacks complicating efforts to stabilize the front. (timesofisrael.com) Reuters said Hezbollah had increasingly used drones, including first-person-view models, in attacks tied to the fighting along the border. (english.alarabiya.net) Last week, the Times of Israel reported that Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel included rockets and drones that sent residents in the Western Galilee and Haifa Bay area to shelter. The outlet said no injuries were reported in that round, though separate drone incidents in the same period wounded Israeli troops. ### What was happening diplomatically at the same time? (usnews.com) Washington hosted two days of talks between Israeli and Lebanese delegations that concluded on Friday, May 15. Reuters reported, via U.S. News, that the sides agreed to extend a ceasefire by 45 days and to hold further meetings in the coming weeks. The U.S. State Department said the talks were meant to preserve the April 16 cessation of hostilities. (timesofisrael.com) Al-Monitor reported that separate security discussions are expected later this month, and ABC reported that military delegations are due to meet on May 29, followed by political talks on June 2 and June 3. ### What happens next on the border? May 29 is the next dated milestone cited in reporting on the Washington talks. (usnews.com) ABC reported that Israeli and Lebanese military delegations are expected to meet then, before another round of political talks on June 2 and June 3. Northern Israel remains on watch for further aerial alerts. The latest public accounts from the Israeli side said Friday’s incidents caused no injuries, while Hezbollah has continued to claim drone operations against Israeli positions near the border. (al-monitor.com) (timesofisrael.com) (abc.net.au)