Israeli soldier killed, 3 injured by anti-tank missile on Lebanon border

By Anadolu staff

JERUSALEM (AA) - An Israeli reserve soldier was killed and three others were injured by an anti-tank missile near the border with Lebanon, Israel’s military said Saturday.

A statement said two soldiers were in moderate condition, while a third was slightly wounded near Margaliot in northern Israel.

The Lebanese group, Hezbollah, said Friday it had attacked an Israeli force with missiles in northern Israel.

In response, the Israeli army struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon overnight, including military compounds and an anti-tank missile launcher.

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 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.