Published: 14:41, August 26, 2020 | Updated: 19:03, June 5, 2023
Israeli military strikes Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
By Reuters

Israeli soldiers stand in front of an Iron Dome defence system battery, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells, in the Hula Valley in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon, on July 27, 2020. ( JALAA MAREY / AFP)

TEL AVIV -The Israeli military struck what it said were posts belonging to Lebanon’s Shi’ite Hezbollah movement early on Wednesday after shots were fired from the other side of the border towards its troops.

After a meeting, Lebanon’s Supreme Defence Council denounced the incident which it called “an Israeli assault” and said a complaint would be filed to the United Nations.

Tension has been running high on the border. Last month, Israel said Iran-backed Hezbollah had carried out an infiltration attempt, which the group denied.

Also on Wednesday, Israeli warplanes carried out raids against military posts belonging to the Islamic Hamas movement in  the Gaza Strip

READ MORE: Israel, Hezbollah exchange fire near Israel-Lebanon border

No Israeli troops were injured in the incident, the military said. Soldiers deployed illumination flares, smoke shells and live fire after the shots from the Lebanese side of the frontier, it said.

“In response, overnight, IDF attack helicopters and aircraft struck observation posts belonging to the Hezbollah terror organization in the border area,” the military said in a statement, referring to the Israel Defense Forces.

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah. The two sides last fought a deadly month-long war in 2006.

Witnesses in south Lebanon said Israel had fired scores of flare munitions at border villages.

The statement from Lebanon’s defence council, which includes the president and top security officials, made no mention of any shots fired from the south towards Israel.

It said Lebanon’s army commander had briefed the council on “the denounced Israeli assault which took place last night at the southern border.”

The Israeli military said it lifted a curfew it had imposed overnight.

“Israel views with great gravity Hezbollah’s firing at our forces,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Wednesday morning. “We will respond mightily to any attack on us.”

Also on Wednesday, Israeli warplanes carried out raids against military posts belonging to the Islamic Hamas movement in various areas in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.

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Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that the Israeli warplanes struck agricultural lands in cities of Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza Strip.

No injuries were reported, but the attack caused considerable damage in the bombed places, according to the security sources.


With inputs from Xinhua