Following an initial Hezbollah attack involving anti-tank missiles fired into Israeli territory, Israeli forces responded by launching rockets into southern Lebanon, specifically targeting Hezbollah positions. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus stated on Wednesday that the Israeli military carried out shelling in the Lebanese border town of Duhaira and the surrounding area where the missile attack had originated. In addition to the ongoing counteroffensive in the Gaza Strip, Israel is actively engaged in a secondary front along its northern border with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Lt. Col. Conricus noted the significant deployment of tens of thousands of additional military units along the northern border, comprising infantry, special forces, armored forces, artillery, air forces, and various other assets including intelligence and logistics. He emphasized that the message to Hezbollah was clear: “If they try to attack, we are ready and vigilant on our border.”
Hezbollah is a Shiite militia group based in Lebanon with strong backing from Iran. The U.S. State Department has designated it as a foreign terrorist organization. It’s important to note that Hezbollah and Hamas, another group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department, are distinct entities.
Hamas is based in Gaza and is involved in the current conflict with Israel. Hezbollah, while endorsing and supporting Hamas’s actions against Israel, has not officially entered the war. However, both groups share a common anti-Israel stance and have received support from Iran in the past.
Israeli reinforcements were deployed to the Israel-Lebanon border in response to an incident where Hezbollah fired anti-tank missiles at an Israeli military position located in the northern border town of Aramsha. initial Hezbollah attack
Hezbollah, in a statement released on Wednesday, claimed that their attack resulted in a significant number of wounded and some casualties among Israeli troops, but specific numbers were not provided. Hezbollah asserted that this action was in retaliation for Israeli shelling on the previous Sunday, which had resulted in the deaths of three Hezbollah militants.