In a significant development, Lebanon's Hezbollah has launched its first-ever attack on Israeli military positions using explosive drones, marking a dangerous escalation in the ongoing clashes at the border that have persisted for over three weeks.
The Israeli army responded by targeting multiple Hezbollah positions in Lebanon following a series of drone launches towards Israel, as reported on the social media platform X.
The Lebanon National News Agency confirmed that Israeli artillery shells struck various areas along the southern border.
Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack. They disclosed the use of two drones loaded with explosives to target an Israeli army command post in the disputed Shebaa Farms area along the Lebanese-Israeli border.
This incident comes shortly after Hezbollah acknowledged using a surface-to-air missile to target an Israeli drone.
The Shebaa Farms, a 15-square-mile (39-square-km) region, has been a source of contention since the 1967 Middle East war, with both Syria and Lebanon asserting that it belongs to Lebanon, while Israel maintains control over it.
Hezbollah militants have been engaged in ongoing exchanges of fire with Israeli forces along the Israeli-Lebanese border since the start of the conflict between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel on October 7. This marks the deadliest escalation at the frontier since the 2006 war.
Hezbollah's leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, is scheduled to deliver his first public speech since the beginning of the violence on Friday, and this address is eagerly anticipated in the region.
This latest development has heightened tensions in an already volatile region, and the international community will be closely monitoring the situation as it continues to unfold.
