Five Israeli soldiers were killed and seven injured in a battle in the southern part of Lebanon, as announced yesterday by the Israeli armed forces.
Two officers and three members of the elite Golani brigade were killed. The condition of three of the seven injured soldiers is described as “serious”.
As Israel’s state TV reported, Israeli soldiers broke into a high-rise building on Wednesday, where they found underground tunnels. They were confronted by four Hezbollah fighters and a violent exchange of fire ensued. During the battle, the four Hezbollah fighters were killed, as were five Israeli soldiers.
Shortly after midnight, Hezbollah announced the “transition to a new escalation of the confrontation with Israel.” In the same announcement, it states that since October 1, when Israel began ground military operations in Lebanon, the losses of Israeli forces amount to 55 dead and more than 500 injured.