Four soldiers were murdered and seven others were critically injured in a Hezbollah drone attack on an army facility in central Israel on Sunday, according to the military. This was the militant group’s bloodiest attack since Israel began its conventional invasion of Lebanon almost two weeks ago.
Hezbollah, an organization based in Lebanon, declared the bombing close to Binyamina city to be reprisal for Israeli raids on Beirut on Thursday, which claimed 22 lives. It later claimed that during the attack by “squadrons” of drones, it launched hundreds of missiles on Israel’s elite Golani brigade in an attempt to take control of Israeli air defense systems.
According to Israel’s national rescue agency, 61 people were hurt in the attack. It is unusual for so many people to be hurt by drones or missiles in Israel because of its sophisticated air defense systems. Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged gunfire nearly every day in the year since the war in Gaza began, and fighting has escalated.
Israel launched a ground operation in Lebanon to weaken Hezbollah and push the militant group away from the border, allowing thousands of displaced Israelis to return to their homes. An Israeli airstrike killed at least 20 people, including children, at a school in Gaza, which was sheltering some of the many Palestinians displaced by the war. Explosions hit early Monday outside Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, killing three people and injuring about 50 others.
Israel is now at war with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both Iran-backed militant groups. The United States announced it would send a new air-defense system to Israel to help bolster protection against missiles, along with troops needed to operate it
International criticism is growing after Israeli forces have repeatedly fired on U.N. peacekeepers since the start of the ground operation in Lebanon. Five peacekeepers have been wounded in attacks that struck their positions, with most blamed on Israeli forces. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for UNIFIL to heed Israel’s warnings to evacuate, accusing them of “providing a human shield” to Hezbollah.
Israel continues to strike what it says are militant targets in Gaza almost daily, blaming their deaths on Hamas and other armed groups because they operate in densely populated areas. The United Nations says no food has entered northern Gaza since October 1.
(AP)
