Israel strikes Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon

By Abdel Rauf Arnaut

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army said Thursday that it had carried out overnight airstrikes on military targets belonging to the Lebanese group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

A military statement said the strikes were in response to rocket fire from Lebanese territory.

According to the statement, one of the strikes targeted a Hezbollah post near Ras al-Naqoura in southern Lebanon.

The army said anti-tank projectiles were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel and that the military was returning fire.

Earlier Thursday, Hezbollah said two of its members had been killed in clashes with the Israeli army in southern Lebanon.

Amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas, tension has flared along the Israeli-Lebanese border, with exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah.

A campaign of Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip followed Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a surprise attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 on Israeli border towns.

At least 3,478 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza, while more than 1,400 Israelis have been killed since the start of the operation.

Hezbollah has fought several wars with Israel, the latest of which was in 2006, during which the Lebanese group struck major Israeli cities with rockets, causing significant material damage.

Over 1,000 Lebanese were killed in the conflict, while much of southern Lebanon – a Hezbollah stronghold – was devastated by Israeli attacks.