Hezbollah says it repelled Israeli incursions, launched attacks on northern Israel

BEIRUT (AA) - Hezbollah announced on Thursday that it had thwarted six Israeli incursions and attempts to infiltrate southern Lebanon, in addition to launching 22 attacks on northern Israel.

In a series of statements, the Lebanese group reported that it detonated four explosive devices targeting infiltrating Israeli forces in the towns of Maroun al-Ras and Yaroun in southern Lebanon, causing “heavy losses” among the Israeli ranks.

The group added that it launched a rocket barrage at a group of "enemy soldiers' in Al-Thaghra area near the town of Odaisseh" in southern Lebanon and responded with “artillery shells to an Israeli advance attempt at the Fatima Gate border crossing.”

In its attacks on northern Israel, Hezbollah stated that it targeted the "Sakhnin military industries base in the Akka Bay" with a rocket barrage and hit a Merkava tank in the settlement of Neto with a guided missile.

Hezbollah fighters also used rockets to target Israeli troop movements in eight settlements: Avivim, al-Bassah, Shomera, Sasa, Misgav Am, Kfar Giladi, Admit, and Yaroun.

Hezbollah said it also struck Israeli forces around the Al-Raheb site, in the Ramim barracks, and between the settlements of Shtula and Al-Raheb, in addition to the city of Tiberias and the Hanita military site in the western Galilee.

Hezbollah announced that it had targeted some of these settlements and sites multiple times, emphasizing that it achieved "direct hits."

The Lebanon-based group further stated that it targeted the city of Safed and a group of Israeli soldiers in Avivim settlement in northern Israel with two rocket barrages.

Another rocket barrage was fired at Israeli forces in the northern settlement of Kfar Giladi, said Hezbollah.

In Israel, sirens continued to blare in wide areas of Upper Galilee, Lower Galilee, and Western Galilee.

The Israeli army stated via X that following the activated alerts, they had detected the launch of 85 rockets from Lebanon at the Metula settlement.

The army further claimed that most of the rockets were intercepted or fell in open areas, in addition to intercepting two drones.

However, Hezbollah said it targeted the settlement with 100 Katyusha and six Falaq rockets.

Though Israel launched simultaneous attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, the attacks intensified after September 23. Tel Aviv claimed it was targeting only Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon, but the strikes killed more than 1,100 people, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

At least 1,974 people have since been killed, over 9,384 injured, and 1.2 million others displaced, according to Lebanese authorities.

The aerial campaign marks an escalation in yearlong cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah since the start of Tel Aviv’s offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 41,800 people, mostly women and children, since a Hamas attack last year.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala in Istanbul