The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) base at Biranit, northern Israel, suffered heavy damage following a Hezbollah rocket barrage earlier today, marking some of the largest strikes seen at the northern front since hostilities began in October.

According to al-Mayadeen, a Lebanese media outlet, Hezbollah forces carried out the attack using Burkan short-range rockets, which can have an explosive payload of up to 500kg. This comes as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had previously announced this month that Hezbollah forces had started to deploy the weapons system for the first time.

Footage shows extensive damage at the Biranit army base in northern Israel following a Hezbollah rocket attack from Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/1VhAljjg1L

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) November 20, 2023

The base is home to the IDF’s 91st Division headquarters, as well as barracks. So far, the number of casualties, if any, remains unknown.

While clashes and strikes continue along the border with Lebanon, Hezbollah has still refrained from committing to a full scale war against Israel. So far, dozens of Hezbollah fighters have been killed in IDF strikes and fighting at the border.

Hezbollah, as well as Iran, have previously warned that an IDF ground assault on Gaza would trigger military response and retaliation, however, we have yet to see any large scale escalations as the IDF operates deep inside the strip.

??The Hizbullah terrorists had alleged that the Biranit IDF base was targeted with high yield mortar shells #Israel #Lebanon pic.twitter.com/49hHFQ790B

— Swords of Steel (@ignis_fatum) November 20, 2023

Some have speculated that Hezbollah has show restraint in having larger involvement in the conflict due to the presence of United States military assets that have been positioned in the region, such as two aircraft carrier strike groups. Despite this, fears still remain that the war between Israel and Hamas will spill over into a wider regional conflict.

Currently, Iran-backed Houthi rebels have increased drone and missile strikes aimed at Israel, while also having hijacked a commercial shipping vessel off the coast of Yemen yesterday after warning that any vessel tied to Israel is a military target. Meanwhile, Iran-backed Shia militias continue to launch drone and rocket attacks against American military installations in Iraq and Syria, which has led to retaliatory air strikes by the United States.