Israel says 1 army officer killed, another injured in southern Lebanon clashes

By Said Amori

JERUSALEM (AA) – An Israeli army officer was killed and another seriously injured in clashes in southern Lebanon, the military said on Thursday.

A military statement said that the two officers were from the Golani Brigade’s 51st Battalion.

Military figures released by the army showed that some 794 soldiers have been killed and 5,351 others injured since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on Oct. 7, 2023.

Israel has launched an air campaign in Lebanon against what it claims are Hezbollah targets in an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare between Israel and the Lebanese group since the start of Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip last year.

Nearly 3,400 people have been killed, over 14,400 injured, and more than 1 million people displaced by Israeli attacks since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Israel expanded the conflict by launching an incursion into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala