Lebanon’s military reported on Thursday that an Israeli attack resulted in the deaths of three of its soldiers in the southern region of the country. This incident occurred shortly after a new series of airstrikes targeted residential areas near Beirut overnight.
The Lebanese military stated that the soldiers were killed near the town of Yater while they were engaged in an operation to evacuate wounded individuals from the area.
In response, Israel’s military indicated it was investigating whether its forces had “accidentally harmed” Lebanese soldiers during operations against Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group. The Israeli military emphasized that it “does not intentionally target soldiers of the Lebanese army” and noted that the incident is under review to learn any necessary lessons.
While Lebanon’s military is not directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanese troops have increasingly found themselves caught in the crossfire. Thursday marked at least the fourth instance this month in which Israeli forces killed Lebanese soldiers amid their ongoing operations against Hezbollah. Earlier this week, the Israeli military expressed regret over the deaths of three other Lebanese soldiers, asserting that it was “not operating against the Lebanese army.”
As Israeli troops continue a prolonged ground invasion of southern Lebanon, the Israeli military has maintained aerial bombardments across the country, particularly in Dahiya, a densely populated urban area near Beirut where Hezbollah exerts significant influence.
On Thursday, the Israeli military stated that the overnight strikes targeted “civilian buildings in the heart of populated areas” that Hezbollah allegedly used for weapon manufacturing or storage. The military also issued evacuation orders for residents of the affected buildings.
Lebanese television channel al-Mayadeen, perceived as pro-Iran and pro-Hezbollah, reported that one of its offices was struck. Video footage broadcast by the channel depicted a damaged building surrounded by shattered glass and twisted metal.
Al-Mayadeen claimed that the Israeli military did not provide a warning prior to the strike on its offices, which had been vacated by employees at the onset of Israel’s invasion. There were no reported injuries, and the channel stated that it “holds the Israeli occupation responsible for targeting a well-known media office belonging to a prominent news channel.”