The Israeli army said today that it has hit more than 3.500 targets across Lebanon over the past month after its forces re-engaged in open warfare with the Shiite Lebanese movement Hezbollah, an ally of Iran.
Hezbollah entered the March 2 Middle East war, which erupted on February 28 after US-Israeli strikes on Iran, to avenge the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Israel has responded with large-scale air strikes across Lebanon, while also conducting ground operations in the south of the country.
In a statement presenting “data on (its forces’) activity in Lebanon during the past month,” the Israeli military noted that it struck “more than 3.5000 targets.”
He noted that he “neutralized” about 1.000 Hezbollah fighters in strikes that targeted, according to the military, “terrorist infrastructure, weapons depots, launch sites and command and control centers” belonging to the Shiite organization.
According to Lebanon’s health ministry, more than 1,300 people have been killed and more than 3,900 injured since the war began. The toll includes 53 health workers.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Kats threatened yesterday (Thursday) that Hezbollah would pay a “heavy price” for stepping up its attacks during the Jewish Passover holiday after the group claimed responsibility for a series of strikes against northern Israel.
Katz reiterated that Israeli forces fighting in southern Lebanon “will clear the area of Hezbollah and its supporters, maintain a presence as far as the Litani River and dislocate Hezbollah’s military capabilities throughout Lebanon.”
