Editor-DN
Jerusalem:
The Israeli military said one of its soldiers was killed in combat operations in Lebanon on Wednesday, the first casualty since its forces crossed the border to target Hezbollah.
“Captain Ethan Itzhak Oster, 22 years old … fell during combat in Lebanon,” the military said in a statement.
A military website said Oster was killed on Wednesday, without giving further details.
Hezbollah said its fighters were clashing with Israeli troops who had “infiltrated” a southern border village.
The group said it had earlier forced Israeli troops to retreat when they tried to enter the border village of Addisa further northeast.
In recent weeks, when the Israeli military began shelling southern Lebanon and later killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike, it was the first time the Iran-backed group said the fighting was on Lebanese soil. happening
“This is just the beginning of the conflict,” Hezbollah spokesman Mohammad Afif told media on the sidelines of a tour of the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital.
“The resistance in the south is at its highest level of readiness,” he added, referring to Hezbollah fighters.
The Lebanese army also said Israeli forces had briefly breached the demarcation line between the countries.
“Israeli enemy forces breached the Blue Line about 400 meters (yards) into Lebanese territory in two areas, “then retreated shortly after,” he said on X.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli army called for the evacuation of additional areas of southern Lebanon, and asked residents to leave more than 20 villages and towns in southern Lebanon.
The move comes a day after the Israeli military announced the start of ground operations and called for similar evacuations.
(Other than the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
