Israel announced on Wednesday that eight of its soldiers were killed in combat in southern Lebanon as its forces advanced into the northern neighbor in an operation against the Hezbollah militant group.
This marks the deadliest toll for the Israeli military on the Lebanon front amid a year of ongoing border clashes with its Iranian-backed adversary.
Hezbollah reported that its fighters were engaged in direct confrontations with Israeli forces inside Lebanon, marking the first ground clashes since Israeli troops crossed the border. The group claimed to have destroyed three Israeli Merkava tanks with rockets near the border town of Maroun El Ras.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his condolences in a video message, stating, “We are in the midst of a challenging war against Iran’s Axis of Evil, which seeks to destroy us. This will not happen, as we will stand united, and with God’s help, we will prevail together.”
The Israeli military indicated that regular infantry and armored units were joining ground operations in Lebanon, following a significant missile barrage from Iran, which launched over 180 missiles into Israel. This attack heightened fears of a broader conflict engulfing the oil-rich Middle East.
While Iran claimed that its missile strike—the largest assault on Israel to date—was concluded unless provoked further, Israel and the United States vowed to respond strongly.