Israel's military said Friday it had struck several Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon a day earlier in response to attacks on its troops in the area. The strikes targeted approximately 10 Hezbollah infrastructure sites and a truck used to transfer weapons, according to an Israeli military statement.
Details of the Strikes
The infrastructure sites were located in the areas of the south Lebanon towns of Bint Jbeil, Beit Yahoun, Kounine, and Baraachit. The Israeli army stated that these sites "were used by Hezbollah to advance attacks against IDF soldiers operating in the Security Zone." The strikes were carried out following attacks on Israeli soldiers inside the Israeli-declared "security zone," which stretches about 10 kilometers (six miles) deep inside Lebanese territory along the border. The military also said the strike on the truck carrying weapons near the area was conducted to remove a threat to the soldiers.
Lebanese Reports and Casualties
The Lebanese state-run news agency reported three Israeli strikes Thursday night, near the town of Baraachit in the Bint Jbeil area, and in Nabatiyeh Al-Fawqa. The agency also reported two injuries in a strike on the town of Seddiqine near Tyre.
Context of the Conflict
Israel and Lebanon signed a US-sponsored framework agreement last week to pave the way for peace between the two countries and disarm Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. However, Israeli officials have repeatedly ruled out withdrawing troops from southern Lebanon, maintaining that any withdrawal would happen only after Hezbollah has been disarmed across Lebanon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited troops in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, vowing that Israeli forces would stay in the area as long as Hezbollah remained a threat.
War Casualties and Timeline
The deal between Israel and Lebanon makes any Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese land conditional on Beirut disarming Hezbollah, starting with "pilot zones" that the Lebanese military will take over. Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 with rocket fire at Israel, triggering Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion. According to Lebanese official figures, Israeli attacks since the start of the war have killed about 4,300 people. In the same period, the Israeli military has reported 38 soldiers and one civilian contractor killed.
