Tel Aviv: A spokesman for the Israeli military on Tuesday said the forces hit three Hezbollah anti-tank squads on the country's border with Lebanon.  In a post on X in Hebrew, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that in reponse, military aircraft "attacked a number of terrorist targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation, including military infrastructure and infrastructure for targeting terrorism".  He also said that earlier in the day, "terrorists fired a mortar bomb at an IDF post in the Lebanese border area" but there were no casualties.  "IDF forces attack the source of the shooting with artillery," the spokeman added.  In a separate statement, the IDF said that there were repeated attacks towards northern Israel with missiles and mortars fired from Hezbollah centres.  Israel has warned the the Iran-based militant group of dire consequences it launched an attack against the Jewish nation.  The Lebanon-Israel border has witnessed increased tension for six weeks after Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Shebaa Farms on October 8 in support of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
—IANS

A spokesman for the Israeli military on Tuesday said the forces hit three Hezbollah anti-tank squads on the country's border with Lebanon.

IDF strikes 3 Hezbollah anti-tank missile squads in Lebanon

Beirut: A total of 115 people have been killed in Lebanon since border clashes with Israel started after the Hamas's massive assault against the Jewish nation on October 7, a military source said.  The source said Israel stepped up its assaults on Wednesday by using heavy artillery to hit the outskirts of 28 towns and villages in southern Lebanon, reports Xinhua news agency.  The source said that Israeli drones and warplanes destroyed six homes and damaged 20 more in southern Lebanon.  In the southern village of Khiam, the bodies of two civilians were recovered from the rubble of a house destroyed by Israel on Tuesday.  Meanwhile, the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group based in Lebanon announced that there were Israeli casualties after its fighters had attacked Israel's military positions in the villages of al-Malikiyah, al-Bayada and al-Marj, as well as the settlement of Miskav Am.  The Lebanon-Israel border witnessed increased tension for over six weeks after Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Shebaa Farms on October 8 in support of the Hamas attacks on Israel the previous day.  This prompted the Israeli forces to respond by firing heavy artillery toward several areas in southeastern Lebanon.
—IANS

A total of 115 people have been killed in Lebanon since border clashes with Israel started after the Hamas's massive assault against the Jewish nation

115 killed by Israeli attacks on Lebanon during border clashes

Tel Aviv: Thailand on Saturday said that there are still 20 of its citizen which are held by Hamas.  On Friday, Hamas released 13 Israelis hostages, including 10 Thailand citizens and one Philippine national while Israel released 39 Palestinians as part of the deal between Hamas and Israel brokered by Qatar.  Thailand said that it will work for the release of all its citizens held by Hamas.  Reportedly, Iran has played a pivotal role in the release of 10 Thailand nationals and one Philippine national.  Sources in Thailand Embassy in Tel Aviv told IANS that they will use all the possible backchannels for the release of its citizens.  As part of deal, including four day ceasefire which stared from Friday, the movement of trucks with aid materials including food, fuel and medicines will be allowed in Gaza via Rafah crossing.  No gun shots were heard since Friday morning in Gaza, reports said.  However, Israel has alleged that it has shot down missiles allegedly fired by Hezbollah from the West Bank region on Saturday morning.
—IANS

Thailand on Saturday said that there are still 20 of its citizen which are held by Hamas.

20 citizens still held by Hamas: Thailand

Tel Aviv: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has intercepted an aerial object allegedly fired from Lebanon into the Israeli airspace.  Sirens set off in several areas of Western Galilee after the object was detected in Israeli airspace.  The IDF in a statement on Saturday said that the aerial object was fired from Lebanon.  IDF sources told IANS that with Hamas entering a four-day ceasefire, the aerial object was fired in Israeli airspace allegedly by the Hezbollah side.  The IDF said that a similar incident occurred during the morning hours in the Upper Galilee area setting sirens.  It is to be noted that Israel is on a four-day ceasefire with the Hamas terror group and since Friday morning, gunshots have not been heard from Gaza, and also missiles and rockets have not been fired into Israel.  Hamas has released 24 hostages, including 13 Israelis, 10 Thai citizens, and 1 Philippine citizen.  Israel has also released 39 Palestinian prisoners, including women and children, from Israeli jails as a prisoner-swapping deal was brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the US.
—IANS

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has intercepted an aerial object allegedly fired from Lebanon into the Israeli airspace.

IDF intercepts aerial object fired from Lebanon

Jerusalem: In a rare apology, Israeli Defence Forces on Wednesday expressed regret at an inadvertent attack in which a Lebanese soldier was killed while it targeted a Hezbollah-linked post and said the incident is under review.
Clashes at Israel's northern border with Lebanon have intensified with regular exchanges of fire since the war broke out in Gaza between Hamas militants and Israel on October 7.  Israeli forces have mainly responded to attacks from the Shia faction Hezbollah, backed by Iran, which has claimed that it was unaware of the October 7 attack, calling its origin and execution local in nature.
In addresses to supporters, the faction's leader Hasan Nasrallah has distanced his organisation and its Iranian masters from any responsibility in the October 7 incident but expressed support for Hamas raising fears of a possible wider conflagration in the region.  Israel has issued stern warnings but taken steps to keep the escalation at its northern border in check. It has also evacuated several communities and townships close to the northern border.  “An army military position in the.........was bombarded by the Israeli enemy, leaving one soldier martyred and three others injured,” the Lebanese army said in a statement.  The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in posts from its handle on social media platform X said that it "acted to neutralise a tangible threat" earlier today identified at a Hezbollah launch and observation post along the border.
<a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1732158041787691116?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1732158041787691116%7Ctwgr%5E3d69cd9adefc09de0617f80755e67e2320c414b4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.deccanherald.com%2Fworld%2Fisraeli-military-regrets-casualties-in-inadvertent-attack-that-harmed-lebanese-troops-2799352" target="_self">https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1732158041787691116?</a>
In another post, it said that “the IDF received a report that a number of soldiers in Lebanon’s army were injured during the attack".  "Lebanese army forces were not the target of the attack,” it said, adding “The IDF regrets the incident, and it will be investigated."  The surprising response is a clear indication that Israel wants to limit its fight in the Lebanese territory and would like to keep other ethnic groups not backing or opposing Hezbollah out of the conflagration.  Hezbollah, according to political commentators, has created a state within the state and its army is considered stronger than the national army.  United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which has been stationed in south Lebanon since 1978 mandated with the task of maintaining peace through various UN resolutions, in a statement said that “the Lebanese Armed Forces have not engaged in conflict with Israel".  “During the last days, we have seen a rapid and alarming increase in violence,” UNIFIL said, urging an end to “the cycle of violence, which could lead to devastating consequences for people on both sides”.  Hezbollah has said that 79 of its members have been killed since the war’s outbreak in southern Lebanon.  Six Israeli soldiers and three civilians have also been killed since the recent escalation following Hamas' October 7 attack.  The fighting has displaced tens of thousands from Israel’s northern communities, which have been pummeled by rocket fire and shelling carried out by Hezbollah and allied Palestinian groups.  Lebanon, whose highly divided ethnic demography has in the past led to internal civil war, is perennially absorbed in a threat of internal strife caused by nagging mistrust among its three major population groups - Maronite Christians, Sunnis and Shias.
—PTI

In a rare apology, Israeli Defence Forces on Wednesday expressed regret at an inadvertent attack in which a Lebanese soldier was killed

Israeli military 'regrets' casualties in inadvertent attack that harmed Lebanese troops

Tel Aviv: The Hezbollah on Saturday said Hassan Ali Dakdouk, the son of Ali Mussa Dakdouk, who is reportedly in charge of the organisation's operations in southern Syria, was killed, reportedly in Israeli drone attack.  Ali Mussa Dakdouk was responsible for training pro-Iranian militias in Iraq for attacking American forces.  He was detained by US forces in Iraq in 2007, but was later released.  Four people who were killed were from Hezbollah while one was a Syrian. The deaths happened in an alleged Israeli drone strike against a vehicle near the Syrian border in the Golan Heights.  Israel and Hezbollah were engaged in exchange of fire across the Lebanese border in which several Israelis were injured.  —IANS

The Hezbollah on Saturday said Hassan Ali Dakdouk, the son of Ali Mussa Dakdouk, who is reportedly in charge of the organisation's operations

Senior Hezbollah leader's son killed in Israeli drone strike

Tel Aviv [Israel]: The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that the air force struck a Hezbollah target in Lebanon amid the ongoing exchanges of gunfire between the two sides along the border, The Times of Israel reported. According to IDF, the Israeli soldiers conducted a strike on two gunmen near the border. In a post shared on X, the IDF stated, "An Air Force aircraft attacked and destroyed a terrorist target of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanese territory. In addition, a short time ago an Air Force aircraft was attacked by a terrorist operating in Lebanese territory near the Zerait area. Also, during the morning, IDF forces attacked two armed terrorists who were operating in Lebanese territory, near the Yaron area."
In another post on X, the Israel Air Force said that air defence fighters intercepted a suspicious aerial target from Lebanese territory before it crossed into Israeli territory on Friday. Taking to X, Israel Air Force stated, "Air defense fighters successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target from Lebanese territory before it crossed into Israeli territory, earlier today. Following the warnings in the north of the country, a number of launches were detected that crossed the territory of Lebanon towards different areas in the territory of the north of the country, some of which were intercepted according to policy." Amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the IDF said it has completed a series of airstrikes against sites used by Hamas' internal security on the Gaza-Egypt border, according to The Times of Israel report. In a statement, the IDF said that the strikes conducted by fighter jets attacked helicopters and drones. It further said that the fighter jets targeted military compounds, guard posts, observation posts, weapons depots and command centres belonging to Hamas's internal security forces.  The IDF said, "The sites that were hit in the Rafah area, where Hamas terrorists operated, aided the smuggling efforts led by the Hamas terror organization and included weapons that endanger IDF soldiers operating in the Gaza Strip and the citizens of Israel," The Times of Israel report. According to IDF, the strikes "deal a blow" to Hamas' ability to smuggle more weapons into the Gaza Strip. The IDF said Hamas' internal security apparatus "robs humanitarian resources entering the Gaza Strip, aids in the smuggling of additional weapons, and its operatives are complicit in Hamas's activities against IDF forces in the Gaza Strip, The Times of Israel reported. Meanwhile, the IDF announced the death of a soldier during the fighting in the southern Gaza Strip, taking the death toll of slain troops in the ground offensive against Hamas to 118. The deceased soldier has been identified as Sgt First Class (reserved) Shay Uriel Pizem (23), a tank commander in the 401st Armored Brigade's 9th Battalion, from Ein HaNatziv.
—ANI

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that the air force struck a Hezbollah target in Lebanon amid the ongoing exchanges of gunfire

Israel strikes Hezbollah target in Lebanon: IDF

Dec 23: An Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said the Mediterranean Sea could be closed if the United States and its allies continued to commit "crimes" in Gaza, Iranian media reported on Saturday, without explaining how that would happen.
Iran backs Hamas against Israel and it accuses the United States of backing what it calls Israeli crimes in Gaza, where weeks of bombardment have killed thousands of people and driven most of the population from their homes.  "They shall soon await the closure of the Mediterranean Sea, (the Strait of) Gibraltar and other waterways," Tasnim quoted Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi, coordinating commander of the Guards, as saying.  Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group has over the past month attacked merchant vessels sailing through the Red Sea in retaliation for Israel's assault on Gaza, leading some shipping companies to switch routes.
The White House on Friday said Iran was "deeply involved" in planning operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea.  Iran has no direct access to the Mediterranean itself and it was not clear how the Guards could attempt to close it off, although Naqdi talked of "the birth of new powers of resistance and the closure of other waterways".  "Yesterday, the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz became a nightmare for them, and today they are trapped ... in the Red Sea," Naqdi was quoted as saying.  The only groups backed by Iran on the Mediterranean are Lebanon's Hezbollah and allied militia in Syria, at the far end of the sea from Gibraltar.
—Reuters

An Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said the Mediterranean Sea could be closed if the United States and its allies continued to commit "crimes"

Iran threatens Mediterranean Sea closure over Gaza, without saying how

Dec 26: The US military carried out retaliatory air strikes on Monday in Iraq after a one-way drone attack earlier in the day by Iran-aligned militants that left one US service member in critical condition and wounded two other US personnel, officials said.
The back-and-forth clash was the latest demonstration of how the Israel-Hamas war is rippling across the Middle East, creating turmoil that has turned US troops at bases in Iraq and Syria into targets.  Iran-aligned groups in Iraq and Syria oppose Israel's campaign in Gaza and hold the United States partly responsible.  At President Joe Biden's direction, the US military carried out the strikes in Iraq at 1:45 GMT, likely killing "a number of Kataib Hezbollah militants" and destroying multiple facilities used by the group, the US military said.
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"These strikes are intended to hold accountable those elements directly responsible for attacks on coalition forces in Iraq and Syria and degrade their ability to continue attacks. We will always protect our forces," said General Michael Erik Kurilla, head of US Central Command, in a statement.  A US base in Iraq's Erbil that houses US forces came under attack from a one-way drone earlier on Monday, leading to the latest US casualties.  The base has been repeatedly targeted. Reuters reported on another significant drone attack in October on the barracks at the Erbil base on Oct 26, which penetrated US air defenses but failed to detonate.  The Pentagon did not disclose details about the identity of the service member who was critically wounded or offer more details on the injuries sustained in the attack. It also did not offer details on how this drone appeared to penetrate the base's air defenses.  "My prayers are with the brave Americans who were injured," US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.  The White House National Security Council said Biden was briefed on the attack on Monday and ordered the Pentagon to prepare response options against those responsible.  "The President places no higher priority than the protection of American personnel serving in harm’s way. The United States will act at a time and in a manner of our choosing should these attacks continue," NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.  Still, it is unclear if the latest US retaliation will deter future action against US forces, who are deployed in Iraq and Syria to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State militants.  The US military has already come under attack at least 100 times in Iraq and Syria since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, usually with a mix of rockets and one-way attack drones.
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The US embassy compound in Baghdad also came under mortar fire earlier in December, the first time it had been attacked in more than a year, in a major escalation.  The latest unrest came less than a week after Austin returned from a trip to the Middle East focused on containing efforts by Iran-aligned groups to broaden of the Israel-Hamas war.  That includes setting up a US-led maritime coalition to safeguard Red Sea commerce following a series of drone and missile attacks against commercial vessels by Houthi militants in Yemen.  The Pentagon said on Thursday that more than 20 countries have agreed to participate in the new US-led coalition, known as Operation Prosperity Guardian.
—Reuters

The US military carried out retaliatory air strikes on Monday in Iraq after a one-way drone attack earlier in the day by Iran-aligned militants

US retaliates in Iraq after three US troops wounded in attack

Tel Aviv [Israel]: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) accused Hezbollah of attacking St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church in northern Israel on Tuesday. At least one civilian was injured after an anti-tank missile from Lebanon hit the church in Iqrit.
The IDF also called this a "clear violation" of UN Security Council Resolution as well as of "freedom of worship". "Hezbollah attacked the St. Mary's Greek-Orthodox Church of Iqrit in northern Israel. An anti-tank missile from Lebanon directly hit the church, injuring a civilian. This attack is not only a clear violation of @UN Security Council Resolution 1701, but also a violation of the freedom of worship," IDF posted on X (formerly Twitter). IDF/status/1739630534416838750?s=20" rel="noopener" target="_blank"&gt;https://x.com/IDF/status/1739630534416838750?s=20
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Earlier in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is making "every effort" to bring back the hostages held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and won't be stopping until it achieves victory, Times of Israel reported. "We aren't stopping and we won't stop until victory because we have no other land and no other path," he said while being booed by the family members of hostages in Hamas captivity.  In the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, troops of the Nahal Brigade raided two schools in Gaza City's Daraj and Tuffah neighbourhoods, CNN reported. The IDF said raids were carried out following intelligence of Hamas operatives hiding at the complexes. Hamas's Daraj-Tuffah battalion is believed by the IDF to be the last standing battalion in northern Gaza. According to the IDF, the troops during the raids encountered and killed several Hamas gunmen. Dozens of explosive devices, assault rifles, and 15 explosive belts were found in the complexes. In one incident, a Hamas terrorist fired a missile from one of the schools at the troops. Netanyahu also visited the war zone in the Palestinian coastal enclave. He said the war against Hamas in Gaza is far from over, The Times of Israel reported.
—ANI

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) accused Hezbollah of attacking St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church in northern Israel on Tuesday.

"Violation of freedom of worship": IDF accuses Hezbollah of attacking church

Beirut [Lebanon]: After the death of Hamas deputy chief Salah al-Arouri in an alleged Israeli strike, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel against waging war on Lebanon and said that the killing "will not go unanswered and unpunished," The Times of Israel reported. "If the enemy thinks of waging a war on Lebanon, we will fight without restraint, without rules, without limits and without restrictions," Nasrallah said in his address, which had been pre-planned to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the death of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp general Qassem Soleimani.
"We are not afraid of war," Nasrallah said, but did not issue a concrete threat. "For now," he said, "we are fighting on the frontline following meticulous calculations." Both the Iran-backed Lebanese terror group and Hamas have accused Israel of killing Arouri in Dahiyeh, Beirut on Tuesday night, with Nasrallah describing the attack as a "major and dangerous crime" that "will not go unanswered and unpunished" -- repeating a threat made by the group itself, The Times of Israel reported. The strike that killed al-Arouri marked "the first time they target the southern suburbs in this way since 2006," Nasrallah said, in reference to that year's Second Lebanon War which saw Beirut's southern suburbs bombed. Israel had sent "messages" to indicate it "did not intend to target Lebanon or Hezbollah," but was rather "settling scores" with Hamas leaders, the Hezbollah leader added.  Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri was killed in an alleged Israeli drone strike in Beirut on Tuesday, The Times of Israel reported. The terrorist organisation Hamas has also confirmed that Israel killed its deputy commander, Saleh al-Arouri, in Lebanon earlier tonight.
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"The cowardly assassinations carried out by the Zionist occupation against the leaders and symbols of our Palestinian people inside and outside Palestine will not succeed in breaking the will and steadfastness of our people or in undermining the continuation of their valiant resistance," senior Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq said in a statement, according to The Times of Israel. However, Israel is yet to comment on the strike that has killed the senior Hamas leader. Meanwhile, Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, condemned the alleged killing of Saleh al-Arouri. He issued a statement responding to the alleged killing of Hamas deputy leader, terming it a "new Israeli crime" and forewarned, saying Tel Aviv is aiming to drag Lebanon into the conflict.Al-Arouri, 57, a resident of Lebanon, served as the political bureau's deputy director for the terror group and was regarded as the de facto head of Hamas's military branch in the West Bank. He was freed from Israeli prisons in March 2010 after serving many periods there as part of negotiations to secure a bigger prisoner swap for Gilad Shalit, an IDF soldier who was abducted by Hamas in 2006. Later, Arouri was instrumental in negotiating Shalit's 2011 release in exchange for the release of over 1,000 Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons, The Times of Israel reported. He moved to Istanbul but was forced to move from there after Israel restored relations with Turkey after the two countries had cut their ties over an IDF attack on a Gaza-bound solidarity flotilla that resulted in the deaths of nine Turkish citizens in a bloody altercation aboard a ship. Al-Arouri resided in Syria before relocating to Beirut. From there, he oversaw the military operations of Hamas in the West Bank, encouraging acts of terror and setting up the money transfers necessary to finance such assaults, The Times of Israel report stated. Additionally, he was among the Hamas executives with close ties to Iran and the terrorist organisation Hezbollah in Lebanon.
—ANI

After the death of Hamas deputy chief Salah al-Arouri in an alleged Israeli strike, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel

Hezbollah chief warns Hamas leader's killing "will not go unanswered and unpunished"

Cairo: Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said it hit a key Israeli observation post early on Saturday with 62 rockets as a "preliminary response" to the killing of Hamas' deputy chief earlier this week.
Senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri was killed on Tuesday, Jan. 2 in an Israeli drone strike on Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyeh.  Analysts said the strike could be seen as a message to Hamas ally Hezbollah that even its prime stronghold of Dahiyeh could be vulnerable to Israeli attack.
Hezbollah had said his killing would not go without punishment. Its head Sayyed Hassan Nassallah said on Friday that being "silent" on the strike would allow all of Lebanon to be vulnerable to more attacks.  The statement on Saturday said the group had hit a main post on an elevated hilltop that Israel relied on for "aerial observation" and "air control".  There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
—Reuters

Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said it hit a key Israeli observation post early on Saturday with 62 rockets as a "preliminary response"

Hezbollah says it hit Israeli observation post with 62 rockets

Tel Aviv: In a significant development, Wissam Al-Tamil, a high-ranking Hezbollah commander, also known as Jawas, met his demise in an Israeli air strike in Majdal, Lebanon. Al-Tamil served as the deputy head of Hezbollah's elite Rawdan force.  Reports from Arabian media indicate that the lethal attack occurred while Al-Tamil was traveling in a car alongside another Hezbollah leader. The incident follows closely on the heels of the killing of Saleh al-Arouri, Hamas deputy political head, and six other members of the terror group in a drone attack in Beirut, attributed to Israel.  Notably, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah had previously issued stern warnings to Israel through televised addresses, emphasizing severe consequences in the event of any attacks in Lebanon. The recent events underscore the heightened tensions in the region, raising concerns about potential retaliatory actions.
—Input from Agencies

The Israeli air strike kills Hezbollah's deputy commander, escalating tensions in the Middle East. Nasrallah's warnings add to regional unease.

Israeli Air Strike Claims Life of Senior Hezbollah Commander in Lebanon

Beirut: Hezbollah responded to recent Israeli assassinations in Lebanon by launching explosive drones at an army base in northern Israel. The attack targeted the Israeli army headquarters in Safed, marking the first time Hezbollah had struck this location, just 14 km from the border. The retaliation was linked to the recent killing of deputy Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut and the death of a Hezbollah commander on Monday.  Israeli sources confirmed an aerial attack on a northern base but reported no casualties or damage. The ongoing hostilities, escalating over the past three months, have seen more than 130 Hezbollah fighters killed in Lebanon. Tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border have been displaced, raising concerns about further intensification and spread of the conflict.
 Also Read: <a href="https://www.thehawk.in/posts/fauda'-star-idan-amedi-seriously-injured-in-gaza-conflict" target="_self">https://www.thehawk.in/posts/fauda'-star-idan-amedi-seriously-injured-in-gaza-conflict</a>  Three Hezbollah fighters were reportedly killed in a strike on their vehicle in Ghandouriyeh in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military retaliated by targeting Hezbollah in Kila and striking a drone squad in southern Lebanon, specifically referencing the Lebanese border village of Kfar Kila.  The slain Hezbollah commander, Wissam Tawil, was a high-ranking officer in Hezbollah's elite Radwan forces, playing a crucial role in directing operations in the south. In response to the situation, Hezbollah's deputy leader, Naim Qassem, stated in a televised speech that while his group didn't seek to expand the war from Lebanon, any Israeli expansion would lead to an inevitable, maximum response to deter further actions.
—Input from Agencies

Hezbollah retaliates, hitting Israeli base after assassinations. Escalating tensions in Israel-Lebanon conflict raise concerns over reprisals.

Hezbollah Retaliates, Strikes Israeli Base with Drones Following Killing

Tel Aviv [Israel]: According to a report by The Times of Israel on Sunday the number of soldiers who have lost their lives in the ongoing military conflict with Hamas has reached 225. One of the casualties is Sgt First Class (res.) Shimon Yehoshua Asulin, a 24 year resident of Beit Shemesh who served in the 924th Engineering Battalion of the Harel Brigade. Asulin tragically lost his life in Gaza.  In response to Hezbollah launching rockets from Lebanon towards Mount Dov and Israeli settlements the IDF conducted an airstrike on a Hezbollah building located in the Lebanese village of Taybeh on Saturday. Additionally artillery shelling took place across parts of Lebanon throughout the day. The primary target for these strikes was to neutralize Hezbollahs launch sites as reported by The Times of Israel. Thankfully there were no casualties reported on the side.  Ever since Hamas initiated an attack on Israel from Gaza on October 7th Hezbollah has been actively involved in confrontations with Israel, along the Lebanon Israel border. They have been firing rockets and anti tank missiles towards towns and army positions. Despite warnings to stay out of this conflict Hezbollah has continued its operations.  To counter these actions effectively the IDF has consistently targeted Hezbollahs cells and posts located in Lebanon. As per the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza which's under Hamas control the number of casualties from Israeli assaults on Gaza since October 7th stands at 27,019 people killed and 66,139 injured. Al Jazeera has reported that the revised death toll in Israel resulting from the Hamas attacks, on October 7th is 1,139.
—Input from Agencies

Ongoing conflict with Hamas sees IDF casualties rise. Hezbollah airstrikes add tension on Lebanon-Israel border.

IDF Casualties Reach 220 in Conflict with Hamas; 24-Year-Old Soldier Killed

Beirut: Eleven people, including six children, were killed by Israeli strikes on villages across southern Lebanon on Wednesday, a hospital director and three Lebanese security sources said, as Israel said that it responded to a Hezbollah rocket attack that killed one of its soldiers.
Hezbollah and the Israeli military have been exchanging fire along the Israel-Lebanon border for more than four months, after the Lebanese armed group launched rockets across the disputed frontier in support of its Pales tinian ally Hamas.  A woman and her two children were killed in an Israeli strike on the village of al-Sawana, two security sources said.  A strike on a building in Nabatieh killed four more children, three women and a man, according to the director of the town's hospital, Hassan Wazni, and three other security sources. Seven people were also wounded, Wazni told Reuters.
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 Four Hezbollah fighters were killed in separate strikes, according to the group and security sources.
Hezbollah did not announce any operations on Wednesday. The head of its executive council said Israel's attacks on Lebanon "cannot pass without a response".  An Israeli government spokesperson told journalists that rocket barrages from Lebanon on Wednesday morning had killed an Israeli soldier, and eight others were hospitalised.  "As we have made clear time and time again, Israel is not interested in a war on two fronts. But if provoked, we will respond forcefully," said spokesperson Ilana Stein.  "The current reality, where tens of thousands of Israelis are displaced and cannot return to their homes, is unbearable. They must be able to return home and live in peace and security."  Stein and Israel's military said the military had responded to cross-border rocket fire from Lebanon.  Israel's military chief Herzi Halevi, who had been meeting the heads of local municipalities in northern Israel on Wednesday, said that despite what he described as achievements against Hezbollah, this was "not the time to stop".  Hezbollah head Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised address on Tuesday that his group would only stop its exchanges of fire if a full ceasefire was reached for Gaza.  The cross-border shelling has already killed more than 200 people in Lebanon, including more than 170 Hezbollah fighters, as well as around a dozen Israeli troops and five Israeli civilians.  It has also displaced tens of thousands of people in the border areas of each country.
—Reuters

Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon escalate tensions. Hezbollah vows response as cross-border shelling continues, displacing thousands. Ongoing Israel-Lebanon conflict claims lives.

Israeli strikes on Lebanon kill 11 civilians: Sources

Beirut: Israel carried out airstrikes in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley on Monday, killing at least two Hezbollah members in its deepest attack yet into Lebanese territory since hostilities erupted with the Iran-backed group last October, sources in Lebanon said.
The Israeli military said its warplanes had struck Hezbollah air defenses in the Bekaa Valley in response to the downing of an Israeli drone by the group earlier in the day. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, which earlier said its fighters had shot down the drone using a surface-to-air missile.  The violence marked an escalation of hostilities that have been fought in parallel to the war in Gaza, heightening the risks of further escalation between heavily armed adversaries that last went to war in 2006.  The Israeli strikes hit an area some 18 km (11 miles) from the city of Baalbek, which is known for its ancient ruins - a UNESCO World Heritage site. The region near the Syrian border is a political stronghold of the Shi'ite Islamist group Hezbollah.  The sources said Israel had carried out simultaneous strikes in the area. A Lebanese security source and a source familiar with the matter said two Hezbollah members had been killed.  Lebanese television station Al-Jadeed broadcast images of plumes of smoke rising from the area.
The Israeli military said it would continue operations to defend Israel from Hezbollah, including within Lebanese air space.  Hezbollah has been waging a campaign of attacks against Israel since the Oct. 7 raid from the Gaza Strip by its Palestinian ally Hamas, in what it describes as an effort to support Palestinians under Israeli fire in Gaza.  The hostilities have largely played out in areas near the Lebanese-Israeli border, but last week widened when Israel struck an area just south of the coastal city of Sidon.  Hezbollah said earlier on Monday it had shot down an Israeli Hermes 450 drone over Lebanese territory using a surface-to-air missile, the second time it has announced a downing of this type of unmanned aerial vehicle.  The Israeli military said two missile launches had targeted an Israeli Air Force UAV operating over Lebanon. The first, it said, was intercepted by Israel's "David's Sling" Aerial Defense System but the drone "fell inside Lebanese territory" after a second launch.  Israeli strikes since October have killed some 50 civilians in Lebanon, in addition to some 200 Hezbollah fighters.  Attacks from Lebanon into Israel have killed a dozen Israeli soldiers troops and five civilians.  The violence has uprooted tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border.
—Reuters

Israel conducts deep airstrikes in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, killing Hezbollah members in a significant escalation of hostilities.

Israel strikes deeper into Lebanon as Hezbollah downs drone

New Delhi [India]: The Israeli embassy in India confirmed on Tuesday that one Indian national was killed and two more Indians were injured in a terror attack by Hezbollah along the border with Lebanon in Northern Israel on Monday. The deceased has been identified as a 31-year-old man from Kerala. As per information, the deceased has been identified as 31-year-old Nibin Maxwell, son of Pathrose Maxwell, from Kollam district in Kerala. Reports have also confirmed that the other two injured are also from Kerala.
Nibin Maxwell had arrived in Israel two months ago and was working in a farm there. In its statement, the Israeli embassy said, "We are deeply shocked and saddened by the death of one Indian national and the injury of two others due to a cowardly terror attack launched by Shia terror organization Hezbollah, on peaceful agriculture workers who were cultivating an orchard at the northern village of Margaliot yesterday early afternoon. Our prayers and thoughts naturally go to the families of the bereaved and those of the injured." "Israeli medical institutions are completely at the service of the injured who are being treated by our very best medical staff. Israel regards equally all nationals, Israeli or foreign, who are injured or killed due to terrorism. We will be there to support the families and offer them assistance. Our countries, who are sadly well versed in civilian loss, stand united in hopes of a speedy recovery for the injured and solace for the family of the bereaved" the Israeli embassy in India said. Meanwhile, the Times of Israel reported that Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets at northern Israel on Monday night, resulting in damage that knocked out power in several towns, as the military struck targets in Lebanon following a deadly cross-border attack by the terror group earlier in the day. According to the Israel Defence Forces, at least 10 rockets were fired from Lebanon at the Western Galilee. Some of the projectiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defence system. Fighting also continues in Gaza with the Israeli Defence forces claiming that they eliminated Islamic Jihad terrorists who fired rockets toward Kibbutz Be'eri and Kibbutz Hatzerim. Fifteen terrorists were eliminated using sniper, tank and aerial fire. IDF forces also struck terrorist targets and eliminated terrorists operating from within civilian areas in Western Khan Yunis.
—ANI

One Indian killed and two injured in Hezbollah attack in Israel. IDF retaliates against terror, with ongoing Gaza conflict. Embassy offers condolences.

One Indian killed, two injured in Hezbollah rocket attack in Israel

Tel Aviv [Israel]: Israeli troops continued operations in the central Gaza Strip, where over the past day approximately 18 terrorists were killed by sniper, shell, and aerial fire, the Israel Defense Forces said on Sunday morning. During one of the strikes, soldiers identified and directed an air strike against four terrorists operating adjacent to the forces.
In addition, ground forces identified three terrorists entering a Hamas compound. Israeli aircraft eliminated the threat and struck the terrorist cell as they exited. Within a couple of minutes, a terrorist exiting another Hamas compound near the troops was hit by an airstrike. In Khan Yunis, soldiers identified two terrorists loading military equipment on a motorcycle. Israeli aircraft eliminated the terrorists and two others who were advancing toward the troops In a joint ground and Air Force activity, a military compound from which an anti-tank missile was fired at IDF troops was struck, as well as a terrorist operating adjacent to the forces.
Soldiers also seized weapons in Khan Yunis. Khan Yunis is Gaza's second largest city and regarded as a personal stronghold of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. On the northern front, Israeli fighter jets struck a Hezbollah observation post in the Southern Lebanon area of Kfarkela on Saturday night. Also overnight, several launches were identified from Lebanon toward the areas of Ghajar and Har Dov. The IDF struck the sources of the fire. No injuries were reported.  Meanwhile, Israeli artillery struck an unspecified threat near the Southern Lebanese village of Maisat, on the border of the Golan Heights. Earlier on Saturday, Israeli fighter jets struck a Hezbollah military compound in Southern Lebanon in the area of Khiam in response to rocket fire towards the Israeli city of Akko. At least 1,200 people were killed and 240 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the remaining 134 hostages, Israel recently declared 31 of them dead.
—ANI

Israeli forces continue their operations in Gaza, targeting Hamas and striking Hezbollah posts in Lebanon. Over 18 terrorists killed, weapons seized, and anti-tank missile sources hit.

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