Israeli Minister for the Development of the Negev and the Galilee and National Resilience, Yitzchok Shimon Wasserlauf of the Otzma Yehudit party, narrowly escaped injury on Thursday when a missile launched by the Hezbollah terror organization struck just a few feet from where he was standing.

The incident took place while Wasserlauf was on an official visit to communities along Israel’s northern border. As the minister and his team traveled between towns, a warning siren sounded. They managed to reach only limited cover before a missile slammed into a nearby field. Despite the powerful blast and flying shrapnel, no one in the group was injured.

Shortly afterward, Wasserlauf described the frightening moment in a post on X. “A work day in the north visiting as many local authorities to meet their needs. And then another siren. A few seconds passed and the impact came, ten meters from us. Everything shook. Thank G-d we weren’t harmed. We’re getting our heart rate back down.”

Following the incident, the minister said the attack illustrated why Israel must press forward with its military campaign until Hezbollah is decisively defeated. “This is the reality of the residents of the north over the past two weeks. This is the reality that will continue if we don’t defeat Hezbollah and its main boss, Iran, once and for all. If we won’t do this now, we will go back to this reality in another year or two.”

Despite the close call, Wasserlauf said he intends to continue visiting northern communities as part of his duties. “I’m proud of the residents of the Galilee and particularly the residents of the confrontation line who show extraordinary determination. You are the strength for victory,” he concluded.