Hizbullah Strikes Israeli Armored Vehicle, Israel Retaliates With Artillery, Airstrikes
The Lebanese Shiite armed group Hizbullah announced on Tuesday that it targeted and destroyed an Israeli armored vehicle in northern Israel, near the Lebanese border. Hizbullah released a statement saying the vehicle was struck by two guided missiles in the Upper Galilee region, opposite the Lebanese village of Maroun al-Ras.
Israeli forces responded with artillery fire, launching heavy phosphorus shells toward towns in southwestern Lebanon, according to Lebanese military sources. The same sources noted that Israeli helicopters carried out multiple missile attacks on Hizbullah surveillance posts.
Tensions between Lebanon and Israel escalated after Hizbullah fired missiles at military sites in Shebaa Farms, a disputed area at the intersection of Lebanon, Syria, and the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. The attacks were in support of a Hamas assault against Israel that took place on Saturday.
The situation further intensified on Monday when members of Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, infiltrated northern Israel from Lebanon, clashing with Israeli forces. Israel responded with strikes in southern Lebanon, killing three Hizbullah fighters.
On Tuesday morning, Israeli artillery targeted the outskirts of Blida and Mays al-Jabal in southern Lebanon following a suspected infiltration attempt into Shebaa Farms.
