Israeli army says 4 killed trying to infiltrate into Israel from Lebanon

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) - The Israeli army on Tuesday said it killed four infiltrators who tried to cross into Israel from Lebanon.

In a statement, the Israeli army said the incident took place near the northern settlement of Hanita, but no injuries were reported on the Israeli side.

It added that the infiltrators were struck by a drone as they tried to plant an explosive device.

No group on the Lebanese side has so far commented on the Israeli army’s statement.

On Monday, the Hezbollah group said it shelled five Israeli positions near the border with Lebanon.

Tensions have flared up along the Israeli-Lebanese border amid an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and the Hezbollah group.

The escalation came as Israel has been pounding the Gaza Strip in relentless airstrikes following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas into Israeli border towns on Oct. 7.

Eleven days into the conflict with Palestinian group Hamas, Israel's bombardment and blockade of the Gaza Strip has continued, with over one million people displaced – almost half of Gaza's total population, according to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The fighting began when Hamas on Oct. 7 initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air. It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and increased violence by Israeli settlers.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.

At least 2,808 Palestinians, including 750 children, have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, while the death toll from such Israeli attacks in the West Bank has reached 60.

More than 1,400 Israelis have been killed in the armed conflict.