Shafaq News- Beirut

Hezbollah on Sunday struck an Israeli military vessel off the Lebanese coast with a naval cruise missile, claiming a direct hit as fighting with Israel in the south escalated.

In a statement, the group said the warship was hit about 68 nautical miles (around 126 km) offshore while preparing to carry out attacks on Lebanese territory, adding that the target had been monitored for hours before the strike.

The attack came in response to Israeli strikes on Lebanese towns, infrastructure and civilians, Hezbollah added, echoing language used by former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah during the 2006 war after a similar naval strike that sank a warship and killed at least four soldiers, when he said, “The Israeli military warship that attacked our infrastructure and civilians; look at it now, burning at sea.”

Israel, meanwhile, denied that any naval asset was hit by Hezbollah, according to its public broadcaster. In 2024, the Israeli military claimed that it had “completely destroyed” Hezbollah’s naval and anti-ship capabilities.

The Lebanese group also reported additional attacks on Israeli forces, including rocket strikes on troop concentrations in the southern town of Ainata and near the settlement of Al-Malkiya, as well as a drone strike targeting the Zarit barracks.

Israeli warplanes, in turn, carried out airstrikes on several towns in southern Lebanon, including Al-Khiyam, Al-Zrariyeh, Shaqra, Beit Yahoun, Al-Tiri and Kawnin.

Earlier today, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the conflict has killed 1,400 people, wounded 4,000, displaced around 1.2 million, and destroyed thousands of homes across Lebanon since it began on March 2.