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Israel Strikes Lebanon, Killing 18; Four Israeli Soldiers Dead
🇸🇬 Singapore /Conflict & Security

Israel Strikes Lebanon, Killing 18; Four Israeli Soldiers Dead

From CNA · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Israel launched deadly strikes on southern Lebanon, killing at least 18 people and wounding 33, according to Lebanon's health ministry.
  • The Israeli military reported four soldiers killed in one of the deadliest incidents since the latest escalation began.
  • The strikes targeted Hezbollah, which claimed to have destroyed three Merkava tanks and clashed with Israeli forces.

Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Friday killed at least 18 people and wounded 33, the Lebanese health ministry reported, in what residents described as one of the heaviest bombardments in recent weeks. The Israeli military confirmed four soldiers died in the strikes, marking one of the deadliest single incidents since the current escalation began.

intensive airstrikes since midnight had hampered rescue and evacuation efforts

— Lebanese health ministryDescribing the impact of the Israeli strikes.

The Lebanese health ministry stated that intensive airstrikes since midnight hampered rescue and evacuation efforts, with the preliminary toll expected to rise. Airstrikes and shelling hit several towns in the Nabatieh district overnight and into Friday, according to residents and Lebanese media.

one of the heaviest bombardments in recent weeks

— NNA (Lebanon's state news agency)Describing the scale of the shelling in southern Lebanon.

Israel said the strikes targeted Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure in response to the group's repeated ceasefire violations. Hezbollah claimed its fighters ambushed an Israeli force near Ali al-Taher hill, destroying three Merkava tanks with guided missiles and engaging troops with rockets and artillery. The group reported ongoing clashes.

targeted what it described as Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure across several areas of southern Lebanon and were carried out in response to repeated ceasefire violations by the Iran-backed group

— Israel militaryExplaining the reason for the strikes.

This escalation follows Israel's publication of a map showing an expanded military control zone in southern Lebanon. The move raises questions about a US-brokered agreement reached Wednesday aimed at ending the war with Iran and calling for a cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon. A senior Israeli official indicated "stubborn negotiations" with the US administration regarding troop presence up to 10 kilometers inside southern Lebanon as Israel pursues Hezbollah.

its fighters ambushed an Israeli force advancing near Ali al-Taher hill in southern Lebanon, destroying three Merkava tanks with guided missiles and targeting troops with rocket and artillery fire

— HezbollahClaiming responsibility for an attack on Israeli forces.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CNA in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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