Four soldiers were killed, and 58 others injured in a drone strike on an Israeli military base near Binyamina, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has confirmed. Seven soldiers sustained severe injuries in the attack, which targeted a Golani Brigade training camp between Tel Aviv and Haifa.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility, stating the strike was retaliation for Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon and Beirut on Thursday. The armed group said it used a “swarm of drones” in one of the most significant assaults on an Israeli position in over a year.
The Magen David Adom (MDA) ambulance service reported 61 injuries, including three critically injured, with victims evacuated to regional hospitals in Hadera, Tel Hashomer, Haifa, Afula, and Netanya. Many were reportedly in a communal canteen when the drones hit, catching them off-guard.
Initially, Israeli censorship delayed media reports on the incident’s details, but the IDF later confirmed the location as the Binyamina base. Some reports suggest the drones were launched from Lebanon, bypassing early-warning systems.
Emergency services and helicopters responded swiftly, transporting casualties across northern Israel.
