A deadly drone attack by Hezbollah on an Israeli army base near Binyamina city killed four Israeli soldiers and severely injured seven others on Sunday.
The attack, claimed by Hezbollah, also wounded 61 people, according to Israel’s national rescue service. This marks the deadliest strike by the militant group since Israel began its ground invasion of Lebanon nearly two weeks ago.
Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, said the drone assault was in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes on Beirut last Thursday, which killed 22 people. The group specifically targeted Israel’s elite Golani brigade and launched multiple missiles to overwhelm Israel’s air defense systems during the attack.
Meanwhile, inside Gaza, an Israeli airstrike on Sunday night killed at least 20 people, including children, at a school in Nuseirat. The school was sheltering displaced Palestinians. Additionally, explosions outside Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah killed three people and injured about 50 others. Tents caught fire, and many injured were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified, with daily exchanges of fire since Israel launched its ground operation in Lebanon. Israel’s goal is to weaken Hezbollah and push the group away from its borders to allow thousands of displaced Israelis to return home.
The United States announced it would send a new air-defense system to Israel, along with troops to operate it, to boost Israel’s protection against missile attacks. Israel is now engaged in war with both Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, with potential strikes against Iran also being considered.
The war, which began a year ago following a Hamas-led attack that killed around 1,200 people, has resulted in significant casualties on both sides. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports over 42,000 Palestinians have died, with more than half being women and children. Israel claims it has killed over 17,000 fighters, but has not provided evidence to support this figure.
