Safad

Safad (also spelt Safed or Tzfat) is a city in the Upper Galilee of northern Israel, situated at an elevation of around 900 metres in the mountains above the Sea of Galilee. With a population of around 35,000, it is the northernmost city of significant size in Israel and sits close to the Lebanese border. It is the administrative centre of the Safad District and home to several Israeli Defence Forces installations in the surrounding hills.

Safad has deep significance in Jewish religious history as the centre of Kabbalah, the mystical tradition of Jewish learning. In the 16th century it was the most important Jewish city in the world; leading Kabbalistic scholars including Rabbi Joseph Karo and Rabbi Isaac Luria settled there. The old city retains its historic character with narrow stone lanes, synagogues, and an active artists colony. The city and its surroundings have been contested in every Arab-Israeli conflict since 1948.

Safad's proximity to the Lebanese border has made it a regular target during periods of Hezbollah activity. In 2006 it was struck by Katyusha rockets during the Second Lebanon War. In March 2026 a Hezbollah drone struck the Filon IDF base east of Safad, using a new jet-powered Iranian-supplied loitering munition, in a sign that Hezbollah was still receiving weapons from Iran despite the loss of its Syrian supply route .