18 troops hurt, one seriously, in Hezbollah drone strike in north
Terror group says attack on military position in Golan Heights is in response to earlier IDF strikes in southern Lebanon
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Eighteen Israeli soldiers were wounded, including one seriously, in a Hezbollah drone attack in northern Israel on Sunday, the military said.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, several drones were launched from Lebanon on Sunday afternoon, setting off sirens in the Galilee Panhandle and northern Golan Heights.
The IDF said that one explosive-laden drone struck the Merom Golan area, injuring 18 troops. One of the soldiers was seriously wounded, and the rest were listed in good condition.
Hezbollah in recent months has increasingly been deploying explosive-laden drones, alongside anti-tank guided missiles and barrages of rockets.
The terror group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted an Israeli military site in the area in response to IDF strikes against it earlier in the day.
Separately, one heavy rocket was launched by Hezbollah at the Beit Hillel area. The IDF said the projectile struck an open area, causing no injuries or damage.
On Sunday morning, the military said Hezbollah operatives spotted at sites used by the terror group in southern Lebanon were struck.
כוחות חטיבת האש של אוגדה 91 זיהו מוקדם יותר היום מחבל נכנס למבנה צבאי בו שהו מחבלים נוספים, במרחב חולא שבדרום לבנון. זמן קצר לאחר הזיהוי, מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר תקפו את המבנה בו שהו המחבלים>> pic.twitter.com/QwqN3UCchp
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 30, 2024
In one incident, the IDF said a Hezbollah member was seen entering a building in the town of Houla, where other operatives were gathered. A short while later, a fighter jet struck the building.
In a separate attack, a Hezbollah operative was spotted at a building used by the terror group in Kafr Kila, and a short while later, it was also struck, the military said.
Hezbollah announced the death of one member following the Sunday morning strikes.
Later on Sunday, the IDF said it struck another series of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, including operation posts in Markaba, and a rocket launcher in Ayta ash-Shab that had been used in an attack earlier in the day.
Israeli fighter jets struck several more Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon overnight, the IDF said Sunday morning. The targets included a building used by the terror group and other infrastructure in Taybeh and Rab al-Thalathine, according to the military.
Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the terror group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid Israel’s war against Hamas.
So far, the skirmishes on the border have resulted in 10 civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 15 IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.
Hezbollah has named 356 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon, with some also in Syria. In Lebanon, another 65 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and dozens of civilians have been killed.
Israel has warned that it can no longer tolerate Hezbollah’s presence along its border, with tens of thousands of Israelis displaced from their homes in the north due to the rocket and drone attacks, and has warned that, should a diplomatic solution not be reached, it will turn to military action to push Hezbollah northward.
While the political leadership has not yet made a decision on launching an offensive in Lebanon and turning the Gaza Strip into the secondary front, the IDF has said it continues to target Hezbollah commanders who were behind attacks on Israel.
