An Israeli tank in Lebanon, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, as seen from the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon, March 5, 2026. (Credit: Ammar Awad/ Reuters)
At a press briefing, Israeli army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said that Israel “continues to systematically strike Hezbollah and pursue the organization’s militants throughout the country,” reporting “320 Hezbollah terrorist targets, including around 80 over the past 24 hours.”
“Our war is not against the people of Lebanon,” he said, estimating that 300,000 people had evacuated southern Lebanon “so far.”
“Over the past two years, we have inflicted very severe blows on Hezbollah, on its leadership, with the operation,” he added. “We continue to strike it daily: its infrastructure, its attempts to rebuild. It knew what it was getting into and is now paying a heavy price … We will continue to intensify the strikes and insist on dismantling Hezbollah of its weapons … We will continue striking until it is dismantled.”
In response to a question, he said there is “no concrete information indicating coordination between Hezbollah and Iran.” “At times … fire is launched at roughly the same time from Iran and from Hezbollah, which may appear coordinated. Hezbollah is a branch of Iran and serves the Iranian terrorist regime; it relies on the Quds Force, but the coordination is not that close. We continue to operate in Lebanon and Iran with full freedom. We will continue until these threats are eliminated,” he said.
