KIRYAT SHMONA — A direct Hezbollah missile strike hit the center of Kiryat Shmona overnight on May 30, 2026, causing damage to businesses and shops but no reported casualties. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett sharply criticized the government's handling of security in northern Israel that same day, accusing it of reverting to a policy of 'containment' during a sharp escalation in Hezbollah rocket fire.

"Residents of the north endured yet another weekend of lawlessness. They deserve to live in security, just like in Tel Aviv," Bennett said in a statement on May 30, 2026.

"This is not a victory. This is not Zionism. This is not an appropriate response," Bennett said. He attacked the coalition, saying it was "incapable" of restoring security to the region.

Bennett called for full operational freedom for the Israel Defense Forces and intensified regional diplomacy involving Saudi Arabia and Gulf states. He said Beirut's Dahiya district "must tremble until security returns to the north," signaling support for stronger retali日晚间 measures.

The missile strike on Kiryat Shmona occurred as Hezbollah launched rockets toward Karmiel, marking the deepest attack by the group since a ceasefire took effect roughly a month earlier. A video shared by Army Radio showed rockets landing off the coast of Nahariya, sending beachgoers running for shelter. The IDF said several projectiles aimed at Nahariya were intercepted or fell in open areas.

On May 30, 2026, IDF Arabic spokesperson Col. (res.) Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for residents of Meyfoudoun, Shoueikin, and Zibdeen in southern Lebanon, instructing them to move north of the Zahrani River. The military also warned that it was preparing for the possibility of intensified fire from Lebanon as operations advanced.