Israel strikes Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon

By Ahmed Gouda

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army said Saturday it carried out overnight airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.

A military spokesman said the strikes were in response to anti-tank missiles fired Friday by the Lebanese group at Israel.

Military compounds and an anti-tank missile launcher were among targets struck by Israeli aircraft, according to the army.

Hezbollah said Friday it had attacked an Israeli force with missiles in northern Israel.

Amid the conflict in the Gaza Strip, tension has flared along the border between Israel and Lebanon, with exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah.

The border clashes have been the deadliest since Hezbollah and Israel fought a full-scale war in 2006, when the Lebanese group struck major Israeli cities with rockets, causing significant damage.

More than 1,000 Lebanese were killed in the war, while much of southern Lebanon -- a Hezbollah stronghold -- was devastated by Israeli attacks.

The border tension comes as Israel continued a relentless bombardment campaign on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Israeli border towns on Oct. 7, putting the territory’s 2.3 million residents under a total siege and a blockade of food, fuel and medical supplies.

At least 4,137 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Palestinian enclave, while the figure stands at more than 1,400 people in Israel.