Eight Israel soldiers dead as Hezbollah claims to repel incursion

AFP | Beirut

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Hezbollah said it repelled an Israeli infiltration into southern Lebanon yesterday, as Israel reported eight soldiers were killed - its first losses since launching cross-border raids this week. The clashes came hours after Iran launched its largest missile attack yet on Israel, its sworn enemy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Tehran would pay for its “big mistake”.

Iran, which backs Hezbollah, said it would step up its response if Israel retaliates, defying calls for de-escalation in a war that has cost more than 1,000 lives in Lebanon. Strike US President Joe Biden ruled out supporting an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear sites, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian again warned of a “stronger” response, though he stressed Iran was “not looking for war”.

Israel, shifting its focus from the Gaza war sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attacks, is now trying to secure its border with Lebanon so tens of thousands Israelis displaced by nearly a year of exchanges of fire with Hezbollah can return home.

A day after its military said it was conducting “targeted ground raids” in south Lebanon, Israel reported the first death of a soldier in the Israel-Hezbollah war, a toll that later rose to eight dead.

Israel bombarded Hezbollah’s south Beirut stronghold, having dealt a significant blow to the group last week by killing its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in a massive strike. Retreat Hezbollah said it forced Israeli soldiers to retreat, targeted an Israeli unit with explosives and destroyed three Merkava tanks with rockets as they advanced on Maroun al-Ras village.

The Israeli army said it staged two brief incursions into Lebanon, warning residents to evacuate more than 20 areas. In Beirut, Hezbollah targets in the southern suburbs were repeatedly bombarded overnight, with AFP correspondents hearing about 20 explosions and seeing smoke billowing over the area.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said an Israeli strike on a Damascus neighbourhood frequented by Hezbollah leaders and Iranian Revolutionary Guards killed two people.

Ground operations Hours after Israel announced the start of ground operations in Lebanon, Iran fired some 200 missiles including hypersonic weapons, sending frightened Israeli civilians into shelters.