Hezbollah Attack Wounds Four Israeli Troops in Lebanon

Nine Lebanese wounded in shelling of home in town of Seddiqine

An overnight incursion into southern Lebanon by Israel’s Golani Brigade left at least four Israeli troops wounded, one of them severely, when they ran into explosive devices planted by Hezbollah when they crossed the border.

Israel evacuated the troops, who were hundreds of meters into Lebanon, by helicopter, and reported the situation was under review. They did not immediately confirm Hezbollah’s version of events.

Also overnight, Israel attacked and destroyed a house in the town of Seddiqine, southern Lebanon. The attack wounded nine people and badly damaged dozens of surrounding homes.

This is a common occurrence in southern Lebanon, when Israeli airstrikes hit “terrorist infrastructure” that turns out to be civilian homes in residential neighborhoods. Over 1,000 homes are estimated to have been damaged by such attacks.

Israel has been intensifying airstrikes and shelling against southern Lebanon in recent days, striking towns and villages across the region. The attacks have badly damaged farmland in the mostly agricultural south and sent an estimated 100,000 residents fleeing to the north.

The international community has been trying to calm tensions along Israel’s northern border, trying to prevent escalation to a full-scale war. Today’s incident which saw Israeli troops attacked only after they crossed into Lebanon, heightens concern that escalation into a ground war will likely continue.

Hezbollah says any truce in Lebanon needs to come alongside a truce in the Gaza Strip. So far, efforts at a Gaza truce have not made a lot of progress and further Israeli incursions into the area continue.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.