“Escalating Cross-Border Tensions: Israeli Airstrikes Target Southern Lebanon”

The Israeli military says it hit dozens of targets in southern Lebanon while the Lebabese armed group Hezbollah said it fired dozens of rockets at an Israeli border village as fighting continues to escalate .

The Israeli military said the strikes in the area of Aita al-Shaab, about 3km (1.9 miles) inside the Lebanese border, hit around 40 targets including storage facilities and weapons in an area it said was used extensively by Hezbollah forces.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant praised the ongoing military operations in southern Lebanon and other parts of the country, citing impressive operational results. He claimed that Israeli forces had eliminated half of Hezbollah’s commanders in southern Lebanon. However, Hezbollah dismissed this assertion, calling it “completely worthless” and aimed at boosting Israeli morale. The group emphasized that it regularly publicizes information about its members killed in combat.

Since October, Israeli strikes have reportedly killed around 250 Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon and another 30 in neighbouring Syria. Meanwhile, more than 70 civilians have lost their lives in Lebanon, with 18 casualties, including soldiers and civilians, reported in Israel. Hezbollah recently held a funeral for senior commander Hussein Azkoul, praising his contributions to the development of the group’s drone and missile capabilities.

The escalation intensified after Hezbollah launched a drone attack on Israeli military bases north of Acre, prompting retaliatory strikes from Israel. In response to Israeli strikes on Lebanese villages, including one that resulted in civilian casualties, Hezbollah fired Katyusha rockets on the community of Shomera. Despite the recent surge in hostilities, the violence has primarily occurred near the Israeli-Lebanese border, with occasional Israeli strikes reaching into Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.