In a recent development in the ongoing cross-border conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, an Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon on Saturday resulted in the death of three Hezbollah fighters, as reported by a security source. The strike targeted a car on the road to Naqura, a coastal town near the Israeli border.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency confirmed the incident, stating that “an enemy drone targeted a car this morning on the road to Naqura,” with ambulances rushing to the scene. Images captured by an AFP correspondent depicted a burnt-out car on a seaside road.
Hezbollah, in separate statements, announced that three of its fighters were “martyred on the road to Jerusalem,” using the phrase to refer to members killed by Israeli fire. The Israeli army, in response, stated that its aircraft had targeted a car in southern Lebanon transporting “a number of terrorists who launched rockets into Israeli territory.”
The cross-border hostilities have been escalating for almost five months, with Hezbollah launching near-daily attacks from Lebanon into northern Israel in support of its ally, Hamas. Simultaneously, Israel has been conducting strikes in south Lebanon.
The latest incident follows a series of clashes, with Hezbollah reporting four fighters killed in an Israeli strike on a house in south Lebanon’s Ramia area the night before. Israel, on the other hand, claimed to have struck Hezbollah “military” buildings in the region.
The ongoing violence has raised concerns about the potential for a broader conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, the last of which occurred in 2006. Tens of thousands have been displaced on both sides of the border, and the toll stands at at least 296 people killed in Lebanon, primarily Hezbollah fighters, along with 46 civilians. In Israel, 10 soldiers and six civilians have lost their lives.
Hezbollah has stated that it will cease hostilities once Israel ends its Gaza offensive, while Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has asserted that there will be no let-up in Israeli action against Hezbollah, even if a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal are secured.
