2 Israeli soldiers injured in drone strike in southern Lebanon, military says

Abdel Raouf Arnaout???????

Two Israeli soldiers were injured in a drone strike in southern Lebanon, the military said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the army said Hezbollah launched explosive drones and several rockets toward its forces in southern Lebanon, injuring two soldiers.

The army also claimed that warplanes intercepted a “hostile aerial target” from Lebanon before it entered Israeli airspace.

Hezbollah, for its part, said it carried out three attacks using drones and artillery shells targeting two gatherings of Israeli soldiers and a newly established command center in southern Lebanon.

The group said the attacks came “in defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to Israeli violations of the ceasefire and attacks targeting villages in southern Lebanon that resulted in civilian casualties.”

Despite a ceasefire announced April 17 and extended until May 17, the Israeli army continues daily strikes in Lebanon and widespread demolition of homes in dozens of villages, echoing its years-long devastation of Gaza.

Since March 2, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 2,704 people and wounded 8,311, and displaced more than 1.6 million, about one-fifth of the population, according to the latest official figures.

Israel occupies areas in southern Lebanon, including some it has held for decades and others since the 2023-2024 war, and has advanced about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) inside the southern border during the current conflict.

*Writing by Rania Abushamala in Istanbul.