14 October 2024. Israel says four of the soldiers were killed and several more injured in a counterattack just after Monday morning when the Hezbollah-operated drone launched bombs at an army post near the border with Lebanon. It is a new serious escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which has just begun.
The IDF has confirmed reports of deaths and injuries from the attack. According to the IDF, the attack was reported to be on an army outpost in northern Israel. Medical teams were said to have reached the place to administer first aid to injured soldiers while the wounded soldiers were taken to local hospitals for further treatment. There has been no word regarding the severity of the injuries, but some are reported to be in critical condition. Shells and airstrikes reportedly have targeted the infrastructure and weapon depots of the group. It’s still a tension-filled situation, although the military brings additional reinforcement towards the northern border.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah, a strong militant organization with close ties to Iran, hasn’t issued an official statement on the latest attack by the drone, but in recent weeks the group increased involvement in the wider regional conflict-torn landscape; its activities were further fueled and amplified by the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, to which Hezbollah responded with dire threats of increased military action due to Israeli operations against Palestinian militants.
This is one of the latest salvos that point out the growing threat posed by drones in modern warfare. The Lebanon-based group Hezbollah has incrementally developed its UAV stockpile, which the Hezbollah uses to spy and increasingly to launch strikes against Israeli targets.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the attack “a grave provocation,” warning that Israel will “respond with full force to any aggression from Hezbollah or any other enemies on our borders.”
The intensification of war across Israel’s north and south fronts has raised concern that a widening conflict is possible. Several countries have appealed to both sides for restraint and dialogue yet the atmosphere remains tense.
