The Israeli military has confirmed that eight of its soldiers, including an army team commander, were killed since it launched ground operations in southern Lebanon on Wednesday. Israel’s military had earlier stated that it is engaged in “close-range” operations in south Lebanon and has dismantled Hezbollah’s infrastructure through precision-guided munitions. It comes at a time when the conflict between Israel and Iran escalated following Tehran firing a barrage of missiles at Tel Aviv on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Israel’s military Chief has said that Tel Aviv will respond to Iran’s missile attack, and its forces can strike anywhere in the Middle East.
Earlier today, an Israeli army captain, Eitan Itzhak, was killed in action, marking the first Israeli combat loss in its ground operations in Lebanon.
“The IDF (Israeli army) announced that seven more soldiers have fallen,” it said in a statement after announcing the death of a first soldier in Lebanon earlier in the day.
Hezbollah reported that its fighters were clashing with Israeli troops who had “infiltrated” a southern border village. The group stated that they had forced Israeli soldiers to retreat after they tried to enter the border village of Adaysseh further to the northeast. It was the first time the Iran-backed group acknowledged fighting on Lebanese soil since the beginning of an escalation in recent weeks when the Israeli army initiated attacks on southern Lebanon and later carried out an airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
“This is just the start of the confrontation,” Hezbollah spokesman Mohammad Afif told media on a tour in the Lebanese capital’s southern suburbs.
“The resistance in the south is at its highest level of readiness,” he added, referring to Hezbollah fighters.
Israel Mulling Attack on Iran
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a consultation with the heads of the security establishment, this afternoon, at the Kirya in Tel Aviv. pic.twitter.com/iDO6VfbNRP
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 2, 2024
Israel will launch a “significant retaliation” against Iran’s missile attack within days, and the response may include targeting oil production facilities in Iran, news agency Reuters reported. The report quoted Israeli officials as saying that the response would be much more substantial than the limited strike Israel conducted in response to the Iranian missile attack in April.
Iran fired at least 200 ballistic missiles into Israel on Tuesday, which left the country to fight on three fronts simultaneously. While many of the rockets were intercepted by Israel’s air defence system, some landed in central and southern Israel, according to the Israeli military. Residents scrambled into bomb shelters as air raid sirens blared and the orange glow of missiles streaked across the night sky. Israel promised retaliation for the attack, which it said caused only a few injuries.
Team BharatShakti (With inputs from Reuters)
