Israeli army attempts to advance in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah claims unprecedented attacks on Israeli aircraft

BEIRUT — Military escalation between Israel and Hezbollah reached a new level overnight into Wednesday morning in southern Lebanon, with Israeli attacks killing over 10 people, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the South.

The Israeli army is trying to advance in Qawzah, Naqoura and Khiam. Hezbollah claimed unprecedented attacks for the first time since the war began, targeting an Israeli warplane and helicopter.

Israeli overnight strikes targeted the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Amana gas stations in Khirbet Silm (Bint Jbeil), at the Srebbine-Kafra-Haris intersection and Doueir (Nabatieh).

Israel struck Kfar Dounin and Jmaijmeh in the Bint Jbeil district and Jibsheet in the Nabatieh district. An Israeli drone hit a house in Nabatieh's al-Maslak neighborhood, injuring several people.

An Israeli strike on a car on the Habboush-Arab Salim river road injured two people.

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Overnight strikes on southern Lebanon

After 11 p.m., Israeli warplanes shot down a Hezbollah drone over the Shebaa area, residents said.

Israeli airstrikes hit Hanine (Bint Jbeil), Deir Qanoun al-Nahr and Froun in the Sour district, and Arab Salim and Sharqieh in the Nabatieh district.

Israeli airstrikes killed one person and injured three in Batoulieh (Sour), and killed two others and injured several in Rshaf (Bint Jbeil).

An Israeli strike on Habboush (Nabatieh) killed four people and injured eight. Another on Adloun (Saida) killed four and injured four others.

A family of 11 narrowly escaped death in Nabatieh after an Israeli missile landed on their house without exploding.

At midnight, Israeli warplanes launched attacks on Toul (Nabatieh). At 2 a.m., the Israeli army renewed strikes on the al-Maslak neighborhood in Nabatieh.

An Israeli strike hit Beirut's southern suburbs after 4 a.m., hours after the Israeli army issued a new evacuation order for the area.

On Tuesday, Israeli warplanes struck 69 Lebanese towns and villages, some multiple times. Of which, 20 were drone strikes, and 30 were artillery shelling, our correspondent reported.

Hezbollah announced 53 attacks against Israeli positions and gatherings.

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Hezbollah's unprecedented aircraft attacks

Hezbollah claimed five attacks on Wednesday against Israeli soldiers in Qawzah, at about 750 meters altitude in the Bint Jbeil district.

The group said it targeted Israeli soldiers four times in the town from Tuesday night to Wednesday dawn. At 4:45 a.m., it fired a missile at a Merkava tank, "directly hitting the target."

As an Israeli military helicopter "tried to land to evacuate the wounded," Hezbollah said it "targeted it with an anti-aircraft missile, forcing it to withdraw."

Hezbollah also reported rocket attacks on Kiryat Shmona and Dishon in Israel, as well as the barracks on Shomera, Yiftah, Biriya and the Israeli army's northern command headquarters (Dado base) north of Safed.

The group said it fired on "an Israeli warplane (...) with surface-to-air missiles, forcing it to withdraw" Tuesday afternoon. This marks the first time since the war began that Hezbollah claims to have targeted Israeli army aircraft.

Wednesday morning rocket barrages

Wednesday morning, Hezbollah fired more than 100 rockets from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Israeli soldiers in northern Israel, as well as in Naqoura (Sour) and Qawzah (Bint Jbeil), two towns the Israeli army is trying to advance into.

Hezbollah launched 10 rocket salvos, claiming to have "hit their targets."

Heavy exchanges of fire took place in the northeastern sector of Khiam (Marjayoun), where the Israeli army has tried to advance for two weeks, our correspondent reported. Automatic weapons fire and explosions of shells and rockets were heard.

A kamikaze drone targeted soldiers in Qawzah at 8:40 a.m., causing "deaths and injuries," according to a Hezbollah statement. The group also claimed rocket and drone attacks on Israeli soldiers at 9:05 a.m. near the former Khiam prison.