The Lebanese Islamist movement Hezbollah launched new rocket and drone attacks this Thursday against Israeli army bases and positions, after the death of one of its commanders in an Israeli strike.
These are the largest simultaneous attacks launched by Hezbollah against Israeli military positions since the start, more than eight months ago, of cross-border firefights between the Lebanese movement and the Israeli army.
“Squadrons of drones loaded with explosives”
Hezbollah claims to carry out these attacks in support of its Palestinian ally, Hamas, at war against the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah fighters carried out “a rocket and drone attack on six barracks and military sites” while simultaneously launching “squadrons of drones loaded with explosives” on three other Israeli bases, the pro-Iranian movement said in a statement.
These attacks are “part of the response to the assassination” on Tuesday of Commander Taleb Sami Abdallah in a strike in southern Lebanon, bordering northern Israel. The army confirmed that it had eliminated Abdallah who, according to it, had “planned and executed anti-Israeli attacks”.
This Thursday, the Israeli army declared that “around 40 projectiles were launched in the direction of the Galilee (northern Israel) and the Syrian Golan,” part of which is occupied by Israel. Most were intercepted while others started fires, she said.
“Israel will respond forcefully to all Hezbollah attacks”
During a press briefing, Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer warned that “Israel will respond forcefully to any aggression by Hezbollah.” In recent weeks, cross-border firefights have intensified, with Hezbollah increasingly using drones to attack Israeli positions and Israel responding with targeted strikes against the movement’s fighters.
More information on the Israel-Hamas war
More than eight months of violence have left at least 468 dead in Lebanon, including around 90 civilians and more than 305 Hezbollah fighters, according to an AFP count based on data from the movement and official Lebanese sources. On the Israeli side, at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians were killed, according to the authorities.