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Woman Wounded as Hezbollah Fires Over 100 Rockets at Haifa
Smoke rises from Kfar Kila, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as pictured from Marjayoun, near the border with Israel, Lebanon, Aug. 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Karamallah Daher
JNS.org — Hezbollah fired over 100 rockets from Lebanon at the Haifa area in northern Israel on Tuesday afternoon, with at least one injury reported.
According to the Magen David Adom emergency service, a 71-year-old woman was in mild condition from a shrapnel injury to her hand. She was evacuated to Rambam Hospital for further evaluation and treatment.
Six other individuals were injured while running to shelters and five people suffered from anxiety, according to MDA. In addition to Rambam, the injured were taken to Carmel Medical Center.
Sirens sounded across the Galilee and Haifa Bay shortly after the Israel Defense Forces said that it attacked the Iranian terror proxy in Beirut, with some 85 launches in the first salvo, followed around 30 minutes later by another 20 projectiles.
Iron Dome intercepted many of the rockets, while multiple impacts were detected, according to the IDF.
There were reports that some rockets and shrapnel fell in Haifa, causing damage to the Mediterranean port city. A direct hit on a building in Kiryat Yam was reported and damage to buildings on Jerusalem Boulevard in the city. Residents reported broken shutters and a burst water pipe.
In the late morning, 25 rockets were fired in the Lower Galilee area, with the IDF saying that some of the projectiles were shot down and others fell in the area.
Following the latest attacks, the IDF clarified that there were no changes to the Home Front Command defensive guidelines.
The latest barrage came after the IDF said that it conducted strikes on Hezbollah terror targets in the area of Dahiya south of Beirut, a stronghold of the terror group.
It also came shortly after Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Naim Qassem, delivered a speech.
The Lebanese terror group launched 190 projectiles into Israeli territory on Monday, mostly targeting the north of the country, with five rockets fired at the Tel Aviv area on Monday night.
Hezbollah has attacked Israel nearly every day since Oct. 8, firing thousands of rockets, missiles and drones at Israel, killing more than 40 people and causing widespread damage. Tens of thousands of Israeli civilians remain internally displaced due to the ongoing violence.
Hezbollah has launched more than 12,400 projectiles at Israeli territory over the past year, according to the most recent IDF figures.
Jerusalem has escalated attacks on Hezbollah since adding the return of evacuated Israeli civilians to the north as an official war goal on Sept. 17.
Golani takes control of Hezbollah compound
The Golani Brigade has taken operational control of a Hezbollah compound in Maroun El Ras in Southern Lebanon that posed a direct threat to residents of northern Israel, the IDF said on Tuesday.
The terror compound overlooks border communities and included a residential building and an olive grove where a loaded, ready-to-fire launcher was located.
Additionally, IDF soldiers found underground infrastructure, terrorist hideouts, living quarters and staging areas after locating the compound during targeted operations in the Maroun El Ras area. Also inside the residential building was a stockpile of weapons, including guns, camouflage nets, military vests and anti-tank missiles, as well as launchers hidden in the kitchen.
Furthermore, a large number of weapons prepared for multiple ambushes against residents of northern Israel and IDF soldiers were located and destroyed in the compound.
According to Israel’s Kan News public broadcaster, IDF soldiers raised Israel’s national flag at Maroun El Ras following the operation there.
IDF’s 146th Division enters Lebanon
The IDF expanded its ground operations in southern Lebanon on Monday with the introduction of the 146th Division, the first reserve division to enter Lebanese territory.
Soldiers from the division began limited, localized, targeted raids against Hezbollah terrorists and infrastructure in southwestern Lebanon after a year of defensive activities on Israel’s northwestern border.
Since the start of the war, the 146th Division has served as a defensive regional brigade, with forces deployed in northern Israel, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank.
The soldiers are operating alongside the 213th Artillery Brigade and additional forces, “in order to expose and dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the area.”
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Brooklyn Nets Select Israeli Basketball Players Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf in NBA Draft
The opening tip between the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, at Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York, Dec. 13, 2020. Photo: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
In a landmark night for Israeli basketball, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf were selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets, marking the first time two Israeli players have been drafted in the same year.
Saraf, a 19-year-old guard known for his explosive athleticism and creative playmaking, was taken with the 26th pick. A standout with Maccabi Rishon LeZion and a rising star on Israel’s youth national teams, Saraf gained international attention with his electrifying scoring and commanding court presence.
With the 27th pick, the Nets selected 7-foot center Danny Wolf out of the University of Michigan. Wolf, who holds dual US-Israeli citizenship and represented Israel at the U-20 level, brings a versatile skill set, including sharp passing, perimeter shooting, and a strong feel for the game. After his name was called, Wolf grew emotional in an on-air interview, crediting his family for helping him reach the moment.
“I have the two greatest brothers in the world; I have an unbelievable sister who I love,” Wolf said. “They all helped me get to where I am today, and they’re going to help me get to where I am going to go in this league.”
The historic double-pick adds to the growing wave of Israeli presence on the NBA stage, led by Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, who just completed a breakout 2024–25 season. After being traded to Portland last summer, Avdija thrived as a starter, averaging 16.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. In March alone, he posted 23.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, including two triple-doubles.
“I don’t think I’ve played like this before … I knew I had it in me. But I’m not really thinking about it. I’m just playing. I’m just free,” Avdija told reporters in March
With Saraf and Wolf joining Avdija, Israel’s basketball pipeline has reached unprecedented visibility. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the moment “a national celebration for sports and youth,” and Israeli sports commentators widely hailed the night as “historic.”
Both Saraf and Wolf are expected to suit up for the Nets’ Summer League team in July. As the two rookies begin their NBA journey, they join a growing generation of Israeli athletes proving that their game belongs on basketball’s biggest stage.
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Iran Denies Any Meeting With US Next Week, Foreign Minister Says
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. Photo: Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via REUTERS
Iran currently has no plan to meet with the United States, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday in an interview on state TV, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s statement that Washington planned to have talks with Iran next week.
The Iranian foreign minister said Tehran was assessing whether talks with the US were in its interest, following five previous rounds of negotiations that were cut short by Israel and the US attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The US and Israel said the strikes were meant to curb Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons, while Iran says its nuclear program is solely geared toward civilian use.
Araqchi said the damages to nuclear sites “were not little” and that relevant authorities were figuring out the new realities of Iran’s nuclear program, which he said would inform Iran’s future diplomatic stance.
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Ireland Becomes First European Nation to Advance Ban on Trade With Israeli Settlements
A pro-Hamas demonstration in Ireland led by nationalist party Sinn Fein. Photo: Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Ireland has become the first European nation to push forward legislation banning trade with Israeli communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — an effort officials say is meant “to address the horrifying situation” in the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday, Irish Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Simon Harris announced that the legislation has already been approved by the government and will now move to the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade for pre-legislative scrutiny.
“Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza,” Harris said during a press conference.
The Irish diplomat also told reporters he hopes the “real benefit” of the legislation will be to encourage other countries to follow suit, “because it is important that every country uses every lever at its disposal.”
Today Ireland becomes the first country in Europe to bring forward legislation to ban trade with the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza.
Every country must pull every lever at its disposal. pic.twitter.com/Z4RTjqntEY— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) June 24, 2025
Joining a growing number of EU member states aiming to curb Israel’s defensive campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, Ireland’s decision comes after a 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel’s presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem illegal.
The ICJ ruled that third countries must avoid trade or investment that supports “the illegal situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
Once implemented, the law will criminalize the importation of goods from Israeli settlements into Ireland, empowering customs officials to inspect, seize, and confiscate any such shipments.
“The situation in Palestine remains a matter of deep public concern,” Harris said. “I have made it consistently clear that this government will use all levers at its disposal to address the horrifying situation on the ground and to contribute to long-term efforts to achieve a sustainable peace on the basis of the two-state solution.”
“Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are illegal and threaten the viability of the two-state solution,” the Irish diplomat continued. “This is the longstanding position of the European Union and our international partners. Furthermore, this is the clear position under international law.”
Harris also urged the EU to comply with the ICJ’s ruling by taking a more decisive and “adequate response” regarding imports from Israeli settlements.
“This is an issue that I will continue to press at EU level, and I reiterated my call for concrete proposals from the European Commission at the Foreign Affairs Council this week,” he said.
Last week, Ireland and eight other EU member states — Finland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden — called on the European Commission to draft proposals for how EU countries can halt trade and imports with Israeli settlements, in line with obligations set out by the ICJ.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the latest move by European countries, calling it “shameful” and a misguided attempt to undermine Israel while it faces “existential” threats from Iran and its proxies, including Hamas.
“It is regrettable that even when Israel is fighting an existential threat which is in Europe’s vital interest — there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession,” the top Israeli diplomat said in a post on X.
It is regrettable that even when Israel fighting an existential threat which is in Europe vital interest – there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession.
Shameful! https://t.co/lxm9qm8sM1— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) June 19, 2025
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