Six Israeli soldiers were killed in a building collapse in a village in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, according to the Israeli army, which did not disclose, first, further details about the incident, described as "very severe," by Israeli military sources, as it involved soldiers from the Golani Brigade.
According to reports, the building where the soldiers were killed had been used by the Israeli army in its ongoing operations in the area. The incident occurred during clashes in southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces were targeting Hezbollah positions. According to Israeli Army Radio, the soldiers died when a booby-trapped building collapsed on them. The building, located in the town of Ainata near Bint Jbeil, is believed to have been rigged with explosives, leading Israeli forces to fall into a Hezbollah ambush as they attempted to advance toward the Aytaroun-Ainata-Bint Jbeil junction. Evacuations are still underway, with reports indicating many of the deceased soldiers are in fragmented remains. Hezbollah said that at least 20 soldiers were killed in this attack.
The pro-Iranian group also launched massive airstrikes against Israel. For the first time, it claimed responsibility for an aerial strike using a squadron of kamikaze drones on Israel’s Kirya Base, Israel’s Ministry of Defense headquarters in Tel Aviv. Another launch was reported in the early evening in Tel Aviv, where sirens sounded.
Hezbollah revealed the use of the Fadi 6 missile, a precision weapon with a range of 225 kilometers, designed to expand Hezbollah’s scope of operations. The missile, which entered service on Tuesday, measures 302 millimeters in diameter, with a warhead weighing 140 kilograms and a total weight of 650 kilograms. It is intended for tactical area bombardment with a minimal margin of error. Hezbollah also reported targeting the Rameem Battalion command at the Hunein barracks with a rocket barrage and striking a logistical base for Israel’s 146th Division near Sheikh Danoun, east of Nahariya.
Hezbollah claimed a series of attacks against high profile Israeli targets. On Wednesday night, the pro-Iranian group said in a statement that it had targeted for the second time the Israeli army's headquarters in the commercial hub of Tel Aviv, which houses both the defense ministry and the headquarters of the Israeli military, with Qader-2 missiles.
It said that it had fired a salvo of missiles at another site near Tel Aviv which it said was owned by the Israeli Weapons Industries (IWI) arms manufacturer. Hezbollah said it was the first time that it had targeted the site. IWI is a major supplier of the Israeli military.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli army reported that three soldiers were injured in clashes along the Lebanese border over the past 24 hours. The army’s 91st Division is continuing its operations in southern Lebanon, with claims of destroying multiple Hezbollah military buildings near Upper Galilee.
Following heavy airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Wednesday morning, the Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted on his X account a video showing the raids and claiming that the strikes targeted Hezbollah’s weapons depots, command centers and missile batteries.
Following evacuation warnings from the Israeli army to residents of certain buildings, Israeli warplanes targeted areas in Haret Hreik, Lailaki and Ghobeiry.
In the South, an Israeli drone strike targeted a motorcycle in the town of Yohmor al-Shaqif, while cluster bombs were deployed near the Litani River in Blat Debeen. Additionally, Israeli airstrikes hit Tibnine, Bint Jbeil, Ainata, Burj Qalawe and al-Sultaniyah, with artillery shelling between Kfar Hammam and Kfarchouba.
Preliminary Toll of Israeli Airstrikes
The Public Health Emergency Operations Center, affiliated with Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health, released preliminary casualty figures from the latest Israeli airstrikes on Lebanese towns. As the identification of remains from targeted sites is still underway, the numbers are not final:
- Doha Aramoun (Wednesday): Eight killed, including three children and three women, with 17 injured and additional remains recovered.
- Baaqlin (Tuesday): Eight killed, including two children and two women, along with five injured and remains.
- Joun (Tuesday): 20 killed, including eight children and eight women, with 12 injured and remains.
- Deir Qanoun Ras al-Ain (Saturday): 20 killed and 19 injured.
- Almat (Sunday): 25 killed, including nine women and seven children, with seven injured and additional remains.
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