Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Hezbollah announced the launch of a 'new escalatory phase' in its confrontation with Israel, while Israel claimed on Friday to have assassinated a Hezbollah leader during airstrikes deep inside Lebanon.
In a statement, the Lebanese party declared, "In line with the directives of the Resistance leadership, the Islamic Resistance Operations Room announces the transition to a new, escalatory phase in the confrontation with the Israeli enemy, the details of which will unfold in the coming days."
It further noted that its fighters are targeting “Israeli enemy concentrations in military sites and barracks along the border... as well as in settlements and occupied northern cities,” using “various types of missiles, including precision missiles being used for the first time.”
In a related development, Hezbollah also mentioned the killing of “55 Israeli enemy officers and soldiers” and the wounding of “more than 500” in Lebanon.
On Friday, Hezbollah announced, in a series of statements, the targeting of two gatherings of Israeli enemy soldiers around the town of Aita al-Shaab with a large missile barrage. The second attack occurred while Israeli soldiers were attempting to evacuate their wounded and dead.
Additionally, the party stated, "After monitoring the movements of Israeli enemy soldiers on the outskirts of the town of Kafr Kila, Islamic Resistance fighters targeted them with artillery shells at 1:05 AM on Friday, October 18, 2024."
The attacks come in "support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in solidarity with their brave and honorable resistance, as well as in defense of Lebanon and its people."
Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that more than 15 rockets were fired in the latest barrage from southern Lebanon toward Haifa Bay.
While Israel consistently attempts to conceal the extent of its material and human losses, the Israeli army spokesperson announced on Thursday that nine Israeli soldiers were seriously injured during confrontations with Hezbollah and acknowledged the death of five elite 'Egoz' soldiers from the Golani Brigade in battles at the border with Lebanon.
Israeli Hostilities
On Friday, the Israeli army announced it assassinated the commander of Hezbollah’s Taybeh compound Mohammad Hussein Ramal during airstrikes targeting approximately 150 sites in Gaza and deep inside Lebanon.
“Ramal was responsible for planning and carrying out terror activities against Israel and was killed in the airstrike directed by troops of the 98th Division,” it added.
Hezbollah has not yet commented on this.
The army further noted thattroops of the 7th Armored Brigade discovered and destroyed launchers loaded and ready to fire at northern towns in Israel.
At the same time, “troops of the 36th and 91st divisions have uncovered weapons belonging to Hezbollah during operations against the terror group in southern Lebanon, including sniper rifles, anti-tank missile launchers, and Burkan-type missiles, which were ready for use and aimed at Israel’s territory,” the army pointed out.
According to the National News Agency, the coordinator of the Lebanese government emergency committee, caretaker Environment Minister Dr. Nasser Yassin, distributed report No. 21 on Israeli attacks on Lebanon and the current situation.
“In the past 24 hours, 96 air raids were recorded in various areas of Lebanon, mostly in the south and Nabatieh, bringing the total number of attacks since the beginning of the aggression to 10,246,” the report said.
The Ministry of Health released the casualty toll for the past 24 hours, recording “45 martyrs and 179 wounded.”
The clashes between Israel and Hezbollah began on the heels of the war between Israel and Hamas that erupted on October 7, 2023, when the Lebanese party opened a “support front” for the Gaza Strip.
Israel has intensified its airstrikes on Lebanon since September 23, targeting what it claims are infrastructure and facilities belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, eastern Lebanon, and the southern suburbs of Beirut. Since then, the ongoing bombardment has resulted in the deaths of over 2,412 individuals, including women and children, and injuries to 11,285 others.
To date, 1,096 centers have been opened to receive the displaced, of which 900 centers have reached their maximum capacity.
The displacement movement continues, with the total number of displaced persons reaching 190,882 (44,121 families) in the shelters, with the highest percentage recorded in Mount Lebanon and Beirut.
In response, Hezbollah responds to Israeli attacks with rockets and drones, inflicting material and human losses.
This is an updated story.