Israeli Forces Conducting “Offensive Action” in Southern Lebanon, Defence Minister Says

Israeli forces are carrying out “offensive action” across southern Lebanon, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announced on Wednesday. The statement did not specify whether ground troops had crossed the border, but Gallant mentioned that many forces are deployed on the border and IDF (army) forces are currently engaged in offensive action throughout southern Lebanon.

According to Gallant, “half of Hezbollah’s commanders in southern Lebanon have been eliminated” in months of violence, with the other half in hiding and abandoning the field to IDF operations. The Israeli army reported striking 40 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, including storage facilities and weaponry.

The strikes come after the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement fired a fresh barrage of rockets across the border, following a strike that killed two civilians which the group blamed on Israel. Hezbollah had already fired rockets at northern Israel in response to the civilian deaths.

Cross-border exchanges of fire have been ongoing between the Israeli army and Hezbollah since Hamas’s attack on Israel in October. Hezbollah has been carrying out near-daily attacks against Israel in support of Hamas, resulting in casualties on both sides of the border.

The situation remains tense as both sides continue to engage in conflict, with civilian casualties mounting. The international community is closely monitoring the situation, hoping for a peaceful resolution to the escalating violence.