Several deaths this Monday were confirmed in the ranks of Hezbollah. Five people, including four fighters from the Lebanese group, were killed in southern Lebanon, say the pro-Iranian group and the official Lebanese press agency (ANI). Hezbollah announced a retaliatory attack, while Israel claimed responsibility for strikes.
“At least four Hezbollah fighters were killed in strikes on Naqoura and Meïss el-Jabal”, two border towns, a source close to the powerful Islamist group told AFP. Hezbollah later announced the death of two of its fighters, originally from Naqoura. A Hezbollah fighter was also killed Monday in a strike in neighboring Syria blamed on Israel, another source from the group told AFP.
Hezbollah fights back
“Over the past day (Monday), numerous shots have been identified crossing different areas of northern Israel. Following a shot in the Biranit region, a soldier was slightly injured and evacuated to receive medical treatment,” the Israeli army said. “Recently ago, following firing towards the Biranit region earlier in the day, combat aircraft (…) struck a Hezbollah launcher in the Ayta ash Shab region, from which the firing have been identified,” it was clarified.
Since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas on October 7, pro-Iranian Hezbollah has regularly targeted northern Israel in support of Hamas, its Palestinian ally. The Israeli army responds by carrying out strikes deeper and deeper into Lebanon. Seven months of cross-border violence have left at least 425 dead in Lebanon, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also at least 82 civilians, according to an AFP count. On the Israeli side, at least 14 soldiers and 11 civilians were killed in this violence according to the authorities.