Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group said Tuesday it had launched a drone attack against Israeli military bases north of the city of Acre, in its deepest strike into Israeli territory since the Gaza war began. The Israeli military said it had no knowledge of any of its facilities being hit by Hezbollah, but had said earlier that it intercepted two “aerial targets” off Israel’s northern coast.
Hezbollah said it acted in retaliation for an earlier Israeli attack killing one of its fighters. The group published what appeared to be a satellite photo, with the location of the strike symbolised by a flash with a red circle around it that sat halfway between Acre and Nahariyya to the north. Israeli strikes killed two Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon, the military said earlier Tuesday. Hezbollah later confirmed the death of its fighter, Hussein Azkoul, but provided no more details.
Since Oct, Israeli strikes have killed about 270 Hezbollah fighters as well as about 50 civilians. Hezbollah’s fire has killed about a dozen Israeli soldiers and half as many civilians.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Hamas’ armed al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, called Tuesday for an escalation across all fronts in a televised speech marking 200 days since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip on Oct 7.
In a video aired by Al Jazeera TV, Abu Ubaida praised Iran’s attack on Israel on April 13, saying the direct strikes with explosive drones and missiles “set new rules, drew important equations, and confused the enemy and those behind it”. He also called for an escalation in the West Bank and Jordan, which lies between Iran and Israel.
Across Gaza, Israeli strikes intensified in some of the heaviest shelling in weeks, residents said, and the army ordered fresh evacuations in the north of the strip, warning civilians they were in a “dangerous combat zone”. Israeli army spokesman said the military “will work with extreme force”.
Hezbollah said it acted in retaliation for an earlier Israeli attack killing one of its fighters. The group published what appeared to be a satellite photo, with the location of the strike symbolised by a flash with a red circle around it that sat halfway between Acre and Nahariyya to the north. Israeli strikes killed two Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon, the military said earlier Tuesday. Hezbollah later confirmed the death of its fighter, Hussein Azkoul, but provided no more details.
Since Oct, Israeli strikes have killed about 270 Hezbollah fighters as well as about 50 civilians. Hezbollah’s fire has killed about a dozen Israeli soldiers and half as many civilians.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Hamas’ armed al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, called Tuesday for an escalation across all fronts in a televised speech marking 200 days since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip on Oct 7.
In a video aired by Al Jazeera TV, Abu Ubaida praised Iran’s attack on Israel on April 13, saying the direct strikes with explosive drones and missiles “set new rules, drew important equations, and confused the enemy and those behind it”. He also called for an escalation in the West Bank and Jordan, which lies between Iran and Israel.
Across Gaza, Israeli strikes intensified in some of the heaviest shelling in weeks, residents said, and the army ordered fresh evacuations in the north of the strip, warning civilians they were in a “dangerous combat zone”. Israeli army spokesman said the military “will work with extreme force”.
