6 Israeli soldiers killed in fighting with Hezbollah as IDF pushes deeper into Lebanon
IDF says troops died during gun battle with terror group members; air force hits Hezbollah in Beirut as Iran-backed group claims to target army’s HQ; Syria claims bombed by Israel
Six Israeli soldiers were killed in a clash with Hezbollah forces, the IDF announced Wednesday, as Israeli troops pushed deeper into southern Lebanon amid an intensification of violence, even as officials expressed cautious optimism on ceasefire talks.
The clash came as troops moved into the second line of villages across from the border as the IDF said it had further expanded its ground operation in southern Lebanon, It was one of the heaviest single-day losses in the operation that began in late September against Hezbollah.
The slain troops were named as:
- Cpt. Itay Marcovich, 22, from Kohav Ya’ir
- Staff Sgt. Sraya Elboim, 21, from Mehola
- Staff Sgt. Dror Hen, 20, from Gan Haim
- Staff Sgt. Nir Gofer, 20, from Dimona
- Sgt. Shalev Itzhak Sagron, 21, from Sderot
- and Sgt. Yoav Daniel, 19, from Nahariya.
They all served in the Golani Brigade’s 51st Battalion, the IDF said in a statement.
According to an initial IDF probe, the soldiers were killed in an exchange of fire with at least four Hezbollah operatives inside a building in a village in southern Lebanon.
At least one other soldier was moderately wounded in the incident.
All four of the Hezbollah members were eventually killed, the Kan public broadcaster reported.
It was the second deadliest day for the IDF operation after eight soldiers were killed on October 2.
Israel has vowed to push Hezbollah away from the border and restore security to its communities near the boundary after over a year of deadly rocket and drone fire from the Iran-backed terror group that forced the evacuation of some 60,000 residents in the north of the country.
In addition to the expanded ground operation, Israeli fighter jets continued to strike Hezbollah targets in the southern suburbs of Beirut after the IDF issued evacuation warnings ahead of airstrikes, a method that has intensified in recent days.
The military said the targets included weapons depots and a command center.
Later in the evening, the IDF issued new evacuation orders for Lebanese civilians in the vicinity of two buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, published maps alongside the announcement, which called on civilians to distance themselves at least 500 meters from the sites.
#عاجل إلى جميع السكان المتواجدين في منطقة الضاحية الجنوبية وتحديدًا في المباني المحددة في الخرائط المرفقة والمباني المجاورة لها في المناطق التالية:
????حارة حريك
????برج البراجنة⭕️أنتم تتواجدون بالقرب من منشآت ومصالح تابعة لحزب الله حيث سيعمل ضدها جيش الدفاع على المدى الزمني… pic.twitter.com/BtVAp5Z4LQ
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) November 13, 2024
Syrian state media claimed an Israeli attack also targeted the area of Al-Qusayr in the southern countryside of Homs province in central Syria.
The IDF later confirmed the strike, saying it hit land crossings between Lebanon and Syria, which were being used by Hezbollah to bring weapons into the country.
Israeli fighter jets struck several routes in Syria that the IDF says were in use by Hezbollah’s Unit 4400, which is tasked with delivering weapons from Iran to Lebanon.
Syria’s state-run SANA news agency, citing a military source, says the strikes caused “significant damage” to several bridges on the Orontes River and other roads on the Syrian-Lebanese border in the al-Qusayr area.
According to the IDF, the strikes are a major blow to the capabilities of Hezbollah’s Unit 4400.
The IDF in recent months has ramped up strike against attempts by Hezbollah to bring in weapons, including by targeting border crossings with Syria as well as the shipments themselves.
Hezbollah meanwhile, continued to fire barrages of rockets and drones into northern and central Israel.
Hezbollah said that it had fired ballistic missiles at the IDF’s headquarters as it claimed a series of attacks against high-profile Israeli targets.
The pro-Iranian group said in a statement that it had targeted the site in the commercial hub of Tel Aviv, which houses both the defense ministry and the headquarters of the Israeli military, with Qader-2 missiles.
Hezbollah had already announced earlier in the day that it had targeted the same site with explosive drones.
It then later said that it had fired a salvo of missiles at another site near Tel Aviv which it said was owned by the Israeli Weapons Industries (IWI) arms manufacturer.
Hezbollah said it was the first time that it had targeted the site. IWI is a major supplier of the Israeli military.
The IDF said earlier it had intercepted two drones from Lebanon in northern Israel. There was no indication that any drones reached central Israel or came near army headquarters.
Later, the IDF said around five rockets were launched from Lebanon toward the Haifa area and central Israel.
It said some of the rockets were intercepted while others impacted on the ground. There are no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
‘We will not take our foot off the gas’
The violence came as efforts continue in Washington and Beirut to find a negotiated end to combat between Israel and Hezbollah. However, new Defense Minister Israel Katz promised that the IDF will keep fighting until all of Israel’s goals are achieved.
“We will not make any ceasefire, we will not take our foot off the gas, and we will not allow any arrangement that does not include the achievement of the war’s goals,” Katz said during a visit to IDF Northern Command with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi.
He listed the aims as disarming Hezbollah, pushing it beyond the Litani River, and allowing the residents of northern Israel to return safely to their homes.
Video of his statement appeared to show Halevi reacting in surprise to Katz identifying disarming Hezbollah as a goal of the war, since such a move has not been decided by the cabinet.
מה הוא אמר עכשיו? כששר הביטחון הגדיר מטרת מלחמה חדשה – והפתיע את הרמטכ"ל#כאן_בשש @mayarachlin @roysharon11 @gilicohen10 @ItayBlumental pic.twitter.com/K1Dy9bennd
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) November 13, 2024
Hezbollah is barred by UN Security Council Resolution 1701 from maintaining a military presence south of the Litani. The Shiite terror group has blatantly violated that resolution and regularly launches attacks on Israel from near the border.
Katz stressed that Israel will continue to insist on its “right to enforce [any deal] on its own and to act against any terrorist activity and organization.”
“Now we need to continue to hit Hezbollah with all our strength,” he said.
Navy joining the fight
Also Wednesday, the IDF revealed the extent to which the Israeli Navy has been involved in the fighting, with much of the previous headlines taken by airstrikes and the ground operation.
The military revealed that the navy has carried out dozens of missile strikes in Lebanon amid fighting against Hezbollah, including the assassinations of a top commander in the terror group’s drone unit and a senior Hamas member.
On October 5, a Navy Sa’ar 6-class corvette launched a missile at an apartment in the Beddawi Palestinian camp near the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, killing Saeed Atallah Ali.
Another missile strike carried out by a Navy corvette, on November 3, killed Ali Barakat, a top commander in Hezbollah’s aerial forces, known as Unit 127, which is responsible for drone and cruise missile attacks on Israel.
A video released by the IDF on November 13, 2024, shows a Navy missile strike in Lebanon on November 3, 2024, killing Ali Barakat, a top commander in Hezbollah’s aerial forces. (Israel Defense Forces)
Navy corvettes and missile boats have also launched dozens more strikes in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah sites and assets, including rocket launchers and weapon depots, in addition to supporting ground troops operating in the south of the country.
The military said that Navy vessels are used for certain strikes in Lebanon, instead of the traditional fighter jets or drones, due to their constant availability at sea and because the attacks can be launched more discreetly.
A video released by the IDF on November 13, 2024, shows Navy missile strikes in Lebanon amid the fighting against Hezbollah. (Israel Defense Forces)
Navy submarines have also been used for their observational capabilities amid the fighting in Lebanon.
The corvettes and missile boats have also been used to intercept projectiles launched at Israel, mostly drones but also some rockets, using the ship-mounted version of the Iron Dome, known as C-Dome.
Separately, the IDF released footage of a recent strike carried out by fighter jets in Beirut, targeting Hezbollah’s main naval base.
A video released by the IDF on November 13, 2024, shows airstrikes against Hezbollah’s main naval base in Beirut. (Israel Defense Forces)
According to the military, the base was used by Hezbollah to store fast boats, carry out tests, and train its naval forces.
Some 60,000 residents were evacuated from northern towns on the Lebanon border shortly after Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, amid fears Hezbollah would carry out a similar attack, and increasing rocket fire by the terror group.
The attacks on northern Israel since October 2023 have resulted in the deaths of 43 civilians. In addition, 68 IDF soldiers and reservists have died in cross-border skirmishes and in the ensuing ground operation launched in southern Lebanon in late September.
Two soldiers have been killed in a drone attack from Iraq, and there have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.
The IDF estimates that some 3,000 Hezbollah operatives have been killed in the conflict. Around 100 members of other terror groups, along with hundreds of civilians, have also been reported killed in Lebanon.
Hezbollah has named 516 members who have been killed by Israel amid the fighting, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. These numbers have not been consistently updated since Israel began a new offensive against Hezbollah in September.
