8 Israeli soldiers killed in Lebanon, Netanyahu slams ‘Iran’s Axis of Evil’
Israel said on Wednesday that eight of its soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon as troops fought with Hezbollah on the ground after the start of an Israeli incursion into the country.
Tensions in the region have escalated as Israel pledged to retaliate against Iran’s ballistic missile barrage. The Israeli military did not provide any details on how its soldiers were killed but had earlier stated that there had been “close-range” fighting with Hezbollah. The clashes occurred on the second day of Israel’s ground invasion of southern Lebanon.
Earlier today, the Israeli military released footage of its 36th Division entering Lebanon. At present, two Israeli divisions are active in southern Lebanon, aiming to dismantle Hezbollah’s infrastructure in the area.
Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group, said its fighters had engaged Israeli forces in at least one Lebanese town, Maroun al-Ras, located about a mile from Avivim, an evacuated Israeli town. The militia claimed it had targeted Avivim with rocket fire.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a brief video message ahead of the Jewish New Year, which begins at sunset, offering his condolences to the families of Israeli soldiers killed in Lebanon.
“We are in the middle of a tough war against Iran’s axis of evil, which seeks to destroy us,” he said. “This will not happen.” He vowed that Israel would return hostages being held in Gaza and the residents displaced by fighting with Hezbollah in the north to their homes, and “guarantee the eternity of Israel.”
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, speaking at an emergency session of the Security Council, condemned Iran’s attack on Israel. “As I did regarding the Iranian attack in April — and as should have been clear from yesterday’s condemnation — I strongly condemn yesterday’s massive missile strike by Iran on Israel,” he said. “These attacks do nothing to advance the Palestinian cause or alleviate their suffering.”
Iran announced it will hold a public memorial service on Friday in central Tehran for Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated by Israel last Friday, The New York Times reported. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, is set to lead the prayers and deliver a sermon addressing Nasrallah’s killing, Iran’s retaliatory strike on Israel, and the broader regional conflicts.
US President Joe Biden will join a call with G7 leaders today to discuss the escalating situation in the Middle East, according to a source familiar with the matter, CNN reported. The call comes as the US and its allies await Israel’s response to Iran’s missile attack on Tuesday. US officials have warned that Iran will face “severe consequences” for the strike, and the Biden administration has been in regular contact with Israeli officials as they plan their next steps.
Several Iranian missiles hit Israeli military bases on Tuesday night, an Israeli military source told CNN, but reported no significant damage to the facilities.