Hezbollah Launches New Wave Of Attacks After Deadly Israeli Strikes On Southern Lebanon
South Front, May 26 2024
The IOF launched more strikes against southern Lebanon on May 26, provoking a response from Hezbollah. A drone strike targeted a Hezbollah fighter who was identified while leaving a building previously known to be used by Hezbollah in the town of Naqoura, the IOF said in a statement, adding that a separate strike targeted two more fighters in the town of Ayta al-Shaab. Hezbollah mourned a single fighter, saying in a statement that he was killed “on the road to Jerusalem,” its term for those killed by the IDF during the ongoing confrontation. The fighter was reportedly killed in Naqoura. A civilian was wounded in the same strike. Moreover, Lebanese media reported that the Israeli strike on Ayta al-Shaab claimed the lives of two civilians with no apparent links to Hezbollah.
Later, Hezbollah announced eight attacks against the IDF. In separate statements, the group said its fighters targeted military equipment in the al-Abad site, fired rockets and artillery rounds at the sites of Jal al-Alam, al-Malikiyah, al-Ramtha and Zabdin, shelled a headqurters in the Liman barracks and struck buildings occupied by Israeli troops in the settlements of Avivim, Margaliot and Snir. Hebrew media reported that an Israeli was wounded in Avivim. Separately, Hezbollah’s Military Media released videos showing a missile strike against a Merkava main battle tank in Hersh Shtula from May 24 and two other strikes that targeted houses occupied by Israeli troops in the settlement of Metula on May 25.
Hamas Fires Rockets At Central Israel For First Time In Four Months
South Front, May 26 2024
Hamas launched a barrage of rockets from the Gaza Strip at the central Israeli city of Tel Aviv in the first such attack in around four months. The attack was carried out in response to Israeli massacres against civilians in Gaza, Hamas’ military wing, the Izz’ed-Din al-Qassam Brigades, said in a brief statement. Multiple interceptions by the Iron Dome air defense system were seen over central Israel, with rocket warning sirens sounding in Tel Aviv and the neighboring settlements of Herzliya, Kfar Shmaryahu, Kfar Saba, Ramat Hasharon, Petah Tikva in central Israel.
Videos posted to social networks showed smoke rising from a residential area in Tel Aviv and an impact crater in an empty field near Kfar Saba.
The IOF later announced that eight rockets were launched from the Rafah area in southern Gaza at central Israel. Magen David Adom said that aside from two women who were slightly hurt after falling while running to bomb shelters, and several others treated for acute anxiety, there were no injuries in the rocket attack. The rocket attack came a day after Hamas announced the capture of Israeli troops in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. This was denied by the IOF. It also came around three weeks into Israel’s ground operation in Rafah. A recent report by The Times of Israel warned that Hamas still has the capability to launch rocket attacks on central Israel from the area, which is located on Gaza’s border with Egypt. The rocket attack exemplifies the failure of the Israeli war on Gaza.
Hezbollah Releases Videos Of Recent Attacks On Israel
South Front, May 26 2024
Hezbollah’s Military Media released on May 25 three videos documenting recent attacks against the IOF. Two of the videos show rocket attacks that targeted the Malikiyah site on May 21, a newly-established headquarters of the 91st Division in the Ayelet base on May 23 and the headquarters of a unit from the 769th Brigade in the Beit Hillel base on May 24.
The other video shows the destruction of a Namer armored personnel carrier at the al-Marj site on May 25 using an Iranian-made Almas anti-tank guided missile.
Since the outbreak of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip in October of last year, Hezbollah and its allies in Lebanon began launching near-daily attacks against the IOF. Hezbollah carried out eight attacks on May 25. The group also mourned two fighters, who were reportedly killed in Israeli strikes on western Syria. So far, the Israeli-Lebanese border clashes have resulted in ten civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of at least 14 IOF soldiers and reservists. On the Lebanese side, more than 400 people have been killed, including 299 fighters of Hezbollah and at least 70 civilians.
Hamas Announces Capture Of Israeli Troops In Northern Gaza Ambush
The Izz’ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas Movement, announced early on May 26 that its fighters captured an unspecified number of Israeli troops during a complex operation in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. Hamas’ military spokesman, Abu Ubaida, said in a statement:
Our fighters were able to carry out a complex operation on Saturday afternoon in the northern Gaza Strip, where they lured an Israeli force into one of the tunnels in the Jabalia camp, clashed with it from zero distance then killed, captured and wounded all of its members.
Along with Abu Obeida’s statement, Hamas released a video that appeared to show a bloodied person being dragged along the ground in a tunnel. The identity of the person and their condition could not be immediately verified. The video also contained images of military gear and three submachine guns. Unlike previous videos issued by Hamas, the footage was not dated.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) swiftly denied that any of its troops were captured by Hamas in Jabalia or any other part of Gaza.
“The IDF clarifies that there is no incident of a soldier’s kidnapping,” the military said in a brief statement.
The IOF launched a ground operation in Jabalia earlier this month. In recent weeks, it retrieved the dead bodies of seven Israelis who were captured by Hamas during the Oct 7 surprise attack on Israel. The Shin Bet security agency took part in the efforts to retrieve the bodies. While Israeli media accused Hamas of spreading propaganda ahead to a new round of indirect talks on the war in Gaza and the fate of remaining Israeli hostages, the group never made false claims in the past when it comes to the capture of troops. The troops ambushed by Hamas fighters in Jabalia may be from the Sin Bet or another Israeli security agency. It is also possible that they were expendable foreign mercenaries deployed by the IOF in Gaza on high-risk missions. The upcoming days will likely reveal more details on the identity of the captured troops. It’s worth noting that the IOF has lost 286 troops in addition to one contractor since the start of ground operations in Gaza with more than 16,10 others wounded.
Niqnaq 