Lebanon says 18 killed in strikes, Israel reports deaths of 4 soldiers

BEIRUT: Fighting flared in Lebanon on Friday, with authorities reporting 18 killed in Israeli airstrikes across the south and Israel announcing the deaths of four of its soldiers.

The violence is the worst since the sealing of a US-Iran deal to halt the wider Middle East war, which was supposed to also pause the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The deaths of the soldiers drew a furious reaction in Israel, with far-right Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir saying “Lebanon must burn”.

The Lebanese health ministry said the “intensive” strikes “resulted in a preliminary toll of 18 martyrs and 33 wounded” in at least 10 villages and towns.

Israel’s military said it hit scores of targets overnight and into the morning.

“The IDF (military) struck more than 80 command centres, terrorists, launch positions, and additional terrorist infrastructure sites in the area of Nabatieh and additional areas in southern Lebanon,” an army statement said.

“Furthermore, during the strikes, dozens of Hezbollah terrorists operating in the command centres were eliminated,” it said.

Iran-backed Hezbollah, meanwhile, said it was attacking Israeli forces around the southern town of Nabatieh.

Other Israeli strikes targeted the Baalbek region in the east of the country, which had been largely spared since the start of the conflict on March 2.

Israel said its strikes in Baalbek and the Bekaa Valley were in response to “repeated violations of the ceasefire by Hezbollah”, which it said “continues to prepare and carry out terrorist attacks against Israeli soldiers”.

Earlier its military announced that Lieutenant Colonel Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon had “fallen in combat” along with three other soldiers whom it did not immediately identify.

A military official said the incident involved an impact from “a suspicious target” on an Israeli tank, with Israeli military correspondents reporting it had been hit by “a suspected drone or anti-tank missile”.

In a separate statement the military also reported that a reserve officer was severely wounded “as a result of an explosive drone impact in southern Lebanon”, with four other soldiers lightly injured.

‘Mothers must weep’ 

The soldiers’ deaths prompted a strong response from Israeli politicians.

“With all due respect to the Americans, Israel must make it clear to the entire world that the blood of our sons and the security of our citizens are not up for bargaining. All of Lebanon must burn,” Ben Gvir said in a statement.

“For every tear shed by an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers must weep,” he added.

US officials including President Donald Trump have expressed frustration at Israel’s campaign in Lebanon, which it has pursued in spite of Washington’s negotiations with Tehran and a separate ceasefire agreed in April that was meant to halt the fighting there.

Hezbollah said early Friday that it had targeted Israeli troops “with a barrage of rockets and mortar shells” near the Ali al-Taher hills, a strategic feature overlooking Nabatieh.

It had also reported attacking Israeli tanks, saying forces “consisting of an armoured platoon and an infantry platoon (tried) to infiltrate towards the northern side of the Ali al-Taher hills”.

“The clashes are still ongoing,” it said.

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war in early March by attacking Israel to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader at the start of the US-Israeli military campaign.

Israel retaliated with broad strikes across Lebanon and a ground invasion in the south, which borders Israel and has long been under Hezbollah’s sway.