Middle East: Israel targeted by 70 ‘projectiles’ from Lebanon, as eight Israeli soldiers killed in combat

A barrage of fresh strikes between Israel and Lebanon has caused carnage, as the Israeli Defence Force confirms the death of eight soldiers, killed in combat against Hezbollah.

It marks the deadliest day for Israel at war, just a day after Iran fired almost 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on Wednesday, and as it is confronted by almost 100 “projectiles” fired from Lebanon.

In Lebanon, more explosions have been heard in the capital of Beirut as smoke continues to billow through the night sky.

The eight Israeli deaths come as the US condemns planned retaliation from Israel after reports emerged it was planning to attack Iranian nuclear facilities.

‘Projectiles’ fired from Lebanon into Israel

The IDF has confirmed that 70 “projectiles” have been fired from Lebanon’s south into Israel.

The IDF would not confirm the specifics of the “projectiles”, however Hezbollah confirmed it’s use of rockets.

The newest barrage was fired into the north of Israel across two hours of intense battle near ground troops that are part of Israel’s “targeted” incursion.

Hezbollah has confirmed it carried out the missile attacks on the Israeli military on Lebanese soil.

Hezbollah said it had repelled Israeli forces near several border towns and also fired rockets at military posts inside Israel.

Israeli soldiers killed in ground clash

Hezbollah said its fighters were engaging Israeli forces inside Lebanon on Wednesday, reporting ground clashes for the first time since Israeli forces pushed over the border.

Hezbollah said it had destroyed three Israeli Merkava tanks with rockets near the border town of Maroun El Ras.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a condolence video, said: “We are at the height of a difficult war against Iran’s Axis of Evil, which wants to destroy us.”

“This will not happen because we will stand together and with God’s help, we will win together,” he said.

The Israeli military said regular infantry and armoured units were joining its ground operations in Lebanon, a day after Iran fired more than 180 missiles into Israel, a barrage which raised concerns that the oil-producing Middle East could be caught up in a wider conflict.

Iran’s missile volley on Wednesday - its biggest ever assault on Israel - was over barring further provocation but Israel and the United States promised to hit back hard.

Joe Biden urges Israel not to strike Iranian nuclear facilities

US President Joe Biden says he would not support any Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear sites in response to its missile attack and has urged Israel to act “proportionally”.

Biden spoke a day after Iran fired more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in a move that he previously described as “ineffective”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Iran would pay for the attack.

“We’ll be discussing with the Israelis what they’re going to do but all seven of us (G7 countries) agree that they have a right to respond but they should respond proportionally,” Biden told reporters before boarding Air Force One.

Some analysts said Israel’s response would likely be sharper than when Iran fired missiles and drones at Israel in April, suggesting this time it could target Iranian nuclear or oil facilities.

Asked whether the US would back any Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear sites, Biden told reporters: “The answer is no.”

Biden said more sanctions would be imposed on Iran and that he would speak soon with Netanyahu.

“Obviously, Iran is way off course,” he said.

A 38-year-old Palestinian from the Gaza Strip, the only known fatality in Iran’s attack on Israel, was buried on Wednesday.

Sameh Khadr Hassan Al-Asali had been staying in a Palestinian security forces compound in the West Bank when he was killed by falling missile debris during Tuesday’s attack, which Israel said was largely foiled by its air defence systems.

The paramilitary group’s media chief Mohammad Afif said those battles were only “the first round” and that Hezbollah had enough fighters, weapons and ammunition to push back Israel.

Israel’s addition of infantry and armoured troops from the 36th Division, including the Golani Brigade, the 188th Armoured Brigade and 6th Infantry Brigade, suggested that the operation might expand beyond limited commando raids.

The military has said its incursion is largely aimed at destroying tunnels and other infrastructure on the border and there were no plans for a wider operation targeting the Lebanese capital Beirut to the north or major cities in the south.

Nevertheless, it issued new evacuation orders for about two dozen towns along the southern border, instructing inhabitants to head north of the Awali River which flows east to west 60km north of the Israeli frontier.

Israel renewed its bombardment early on Wednesday of Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has its headquarters, with more than a dozen airstrikes against what it said were targets belonging to Hezbollah.

Israel also carried out an air strike on a residential building in the Mezzah suburb in the west of Syria’s capital Damascus, killing three civilians and injuring three, Syrian state media reported on Wednesday.

Israel has been carrying out strikes on Iran-linked targets in Syria for years.

More than 1900 people have been killed and about 9000 wounded in Lebanon in almost a year of cross-border fighting, with most of the deaths occurring in the past two weeks, according to Lebanese government statistics.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that about 1.2 million Lebanese had been displaced by Israeli attacks.

Malika Joumaa, from Sudan, was forced to take shelter in Saint Joseph’s church in Beirut after being forced from her house near Sidon in coastal south Lebanon with her husband and two children.

“It’s good that the church offered its help. We were going to stay in the streets; where would we have gone? We were (sheltering) under the bridge, it is not safe. If we go back home, it is not safe, they are striking everywhere.”

Iran described Tuesday’s missile assault as a response to Israeli killings of militant leaders, including Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, attacks in Lebanon against the group and Israel’s war against Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza.

The general staff of Iran’s armed forces said any Israeli response would be met with “vast destruction”.

US news website Axios on Wednesday cited Israeli officials as saying Israel will launch a “significant retaliation” for Iran’s attack within days that could strike oil production facilities inside Iran and other strategic sites.

- With Reuters