The IDF said it struck Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon’s Bekaa region a short time ago, saying the attacks were a response to repeated ceasefire violations by the militant group. According to the military, the targets were terror facilities still being used to advance and carry out attacks against IDF forces operating in the area.
The strike came after several deadly incidents in recent days. Overnight, four IDF soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon when a suspicious object hit a tank from Battalion 52. One of those killed was the battalion commander, Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Shimhon, along with three additional fighters. The incident took place around 00:20 while Battalion 52 was operating under the Givati Brigade combat team near the village of Tebnine. Initial findings say a suspicious object struck the tank directly, but the military said it cannot yet determine which weapon caused the hit and that all investigative directions are being examined.
A day earlier, an explosive drone detonated near a Givati force in the Al-Saluki and Beaufort area, wounding five soldiers, two seriously, two moderately and one lightly. Hours later, a powerful explosive device was detonated in the village of A-Taybeh against a vehicle belonging to the forward command group of the deputy commander of the 36th Division, Col. Natay Oksi. In that attack, reserve Master Sgt. Alexander Filin was killed and several other soldiers were wounded.
Security officials said they see a worrying trend and fear Hezbollah may be returning broadly to its old method of using explosive devices against IDF troops in the field. Intelligence analysis suggests Hezbollah is using old bombs to obscure its tracks, create ambiguity and avoid a sharp Israeli response against its core assets. The IDF said it will not ignore harm to soldiers or violations of sovereignty, even amid especially high diplomatic sensitivity. The report noted that Iran has formally conditioned its signature on a new memorandum of understanding with the United States on Israel halting all attacks in Lebanon and withdrawing all military forces behind the border.
