Lebanese Hezbollah fighters demonstrate military maneuvers during a press tour in the southern Lebanese village of Aaramta, on May 21, 2023, ahead of the anniversary of the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. (Credit: AFP)
This article was updated at 5:00 p.m. to include new statements from the Israeli army.
BEIRUT — Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an explosion Monday morning which it says killed and wounded Israeli soldiers who had "crossed the border" into Lebanon. An Israeli army official later admitted that the soldiers, four of whom were wounded in the explosion, were "hundreds of meters" inside Lebanon.
The Hezbollah statement reads: "After observing the movement of enemy troops, the Islamic resistance [Hezbollah] planted explosives in the Tell Ismail area, inside Lebanese territory near the border with occupied Palestine. These explosives were detonated when a group from the Golani Brigade crossed the border." Created in 1948, the Golani Brigade has taken part in major battles waged by Israel, including the July 2006 war in Lebanon.
The Israeli army radio station later admitted that the explosion took place inside Lebanon. In a statement published on X, the radio station said that the "explosion by which Golani fighters were hit" earlier Monday, took place "inside the territory of Lebanon — near the border with Israel." Quoting the Israeli army, Haaretz reported that the incident left three soldiers wounded, one of them seriously.
The same station reported that the purpose of the Israeli operation inside Lebanon was to "scan the Lebanese side of the border." It added that the Israeli army "opened fire to rescue the wounded" following the explosion.
According to an Israeli army official quoted by Reuters, the four wounded Israeli soldiers were "several hundred meters" from the border inside Lebanese territory.
Back in March, Hezbollah had announced that it thwarted two Israeli attempts to make land incursions into Lebanese territory. Hezbollah said that these incursions, also attempted by soldiers of the Golani Brigade, took place at the Israeli "Khirbet Zarit" site located opposite the Lebanese village of Ramieh (Bint Jbeil district), and in the area known as "Wadi Katmoun," opposite Rmaish (Bint Jbeil district). These operations were carried out by detonating explosives and firing artillery at Israeli patrols.
At the end of March, three UN observers and their translator were injured in an explosion in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese judiciary declared that the incident was due to a landmine exploding, while the Israeli army claimed that the blast had been caused by a charge previously placed in the area by Hezbollah. The party did not comment on the incident.