The Israeli army is conducting operations to identify and eliminate facilities related to terrorist activities, as well as to destroy terrorists, as stated in an official announcement. "Before the start of the ground phase, fire support was applied, resulting in numerous terrorist targets being hit both from the air and from the ground," the press service added.
This operation is aimed at "strengthening forward defensive positions," which should ensure the safety of residents in northern Israel, the IDF explained.
The conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah group has been ongoing since March 2, when the Lebanese side attacked the naval base in Haifa in support of Iran.
As of today, the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported at least 394 civilian casualties as a result of Israeli attacks, including 83 children. There have also been 1,130 injuries reported.
According to a report from the Israel Defense Forces, two Israeli soldiers have died during the conflict.
On March 3, the IDF confirmed the elimination of the commander of the Lebanese Quds unit — a foreign formation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — Daoud Ali Zadeh, who became the acting commander after the assassination of his predecessor Hassan Mahdavi, who also died as a result of an IDF strike.
Earlier, the Al-Mayadeen agency reported on an unsuccessful attempt by Israel to conduct a landing operation in the mountains of Lebanon to search for the remains of Israeli Air Force navigator Ron Arad, who went missing in 1986 after the crash of his F-4 Phantom. Arad's family has called for the search to be halted if it poses a threat to the lives of military personnel.
