Intercepts Seen Over Kiryat Shmona as Trump Comments on Hezbollah Draw Fire

Residents of Kiryat Shmona saw interceptor launches in the sky on Tuesday evening, while the Israel Defense Forces continued operating in southern Lebanon under new operational restrictions tied to the latest political understandings. The IDF said only that an interceptor was fired at a suspicious aerial target identified in an area where Israeli forces are operating in southern Lebanon, and that the incident ended without casualties and without alerts being activated.

The sightings came at the same time as comments by U.S. President Donald Trump about Israel’s conduct in Lebanon. Trump said there was a “small disagreement” with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the fighting there, adding that “Bibi Netanyahu gets too excited sometimes.” He said he had advised Israel to act “a little more gently” and not to “take down a building every time.” Trump also claimed that Syria’s leader would have been happy to enter Lebanon and deal with Hezbollah, a remark that drew strong criticism in Israel.

Hours before the intercepts, the IDF reported another Hezbollah attack on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. According to those reports, two explosive drones were launched toward the troops, along with an anti-tank missile attempt. One drone exploded near a tank, and the other struck an area where evacuation forces were operating. Five soldiers were wounded, one seriously, two moderately and two lightly.

The latest incidents add to a series of recent attacks, including rocket fire toward the area where IDF forces are operating in southern Lebanon, which also led to intercepts. Against that backdrop, the new instructions for troops reportedly prohibit initiating fire unless there is clear and immediate danger, and direct forces to avoid staying long in fixed positions and to move between locations to reduce exposure.