IRIA News

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Four Israeli soldiers have been killed and more than 60 people injured in a Hezbollah drone attack on an Israeli army base near the northern Israeli town of Binyamina a town in the Haifa district. The October 13, 2024, attack is one of the deadliest attacks on Israel since the beginning of the war last October.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), launched by Hezbollah hit an army base adjacent to Binyamina, a town that lies some 40 miles from the Lebanese border. The four killed soldiers were all 19 years old and in infantry training, the IDF said, adding that eight other soldiers were severely injured.

“We are studying and investigating the incident — how a drone infiltrated without warning and struck the base,” said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military spokesman. “We must provide better defense.”

“We are at war, and an attack on a training base on the home front is difficult and the results are painful. You operated well to treat and evacuate the wounded and injured. Embrace the bereaved families, accompany the wounded, and strengthen the commanders and soldiers.”… pic.twitter.com/iYJOLSP6m9

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 14, 2024

At least 61 Israelis were also wounded in Sunday’s attack, the deadliest strike by the militant group since Israel launched its ground invasion of Lebanon two weeks ago.

Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group operating in Lebanon, claimed to have launched “swarms of drones” at Israel. The group said that the drones “managed to penetrate the air defense and reached the target.” Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, said Israel undermined Hezbollah’s capabilities while continuing to bombard Lebanon and killing its members, including its former chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Israel will continue to strike Hezbollah, Netanyahu vows

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to intensify military operations against Hezbollah throughout Lebanon, including in the capital city of Beirut. Speaking at the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Golani Brigade Training Base, Netanyahu declared, “We will continue to strike Hezbollah without mercy everywhere in Lebanon — including Beirut.”

His remarks follow a recent attack in which a Hezbollah drone struck the training base, resulting in the deaths of four Israeli soldiers. Netanyahu expressed condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers and announced plans to visit the wounded.

“Together with the entire nation, I pray for their quick recovery… We are continuing to fight. We are paying a painful price, but we have considerable achievements which we will continue to make,” he said.

Israeli strike in northern Lebanon kills 21 people

Meanwhile, an Israeli airstrike on an apartment building in northern Lebanon on Monday killed at least 21 people, according to the Lebanese Red Cross. The Israeli strike hit a residential building in the Christian-majority village of Aitou in the region of Zgharta.

Videos from Lebanese media showed a large cloud of smoke coming from the hilly village, where several cars were wrecked and a building was badly damaged. People were trying to remove bodies trapped under rubble and trees.

Israeli airstrikes and ground operations had killed more than 2,000 people, the health ministry said. More than 1 million people have been displaced from their homes, including tens of thousands under Israel evacuation orders in almost 100 towns and villages of Lebanon.

Israeli strike at Gaza’s al-Aqsa Hospital sparks deadly fire, kills 4

On Monday, an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital complex in the Gaza Strip killed at least four people and triggered a fire that swept through a tent camp for people displaced by the war. The attack sent flames sweeping through a packed tent camp. At least four people have been killed and dozens of others wounded.

Videos shared on social media showed rescuers rushing to save people while trying to control the fire. One of the videos appeared to show one man being burned alive. “The fire was very fast and burned all the tents. I saw three people burning, dozens of injuries, and hundreds of families running and screaming and searching for their children,” according to Ahmed al-Ras, 41, a photojournalist for Al-Kofiya TV, a local network.

US sending THAAD missile system and troops to Israel

The United States is sending one of its most advanced missile defense systems and about 100 U.S. troops to Israel amid the escalating war in the Middle East to bolster Israel’s defenses against Iran. The mission marks the first significant deployment of U.S. troops to Israel since the war in Gaza began in October 2023.

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed the deployment in a statement, saying the THAAD will “augment Israel’s integrated air defense system” following Iran’s “unprecedented attacks” on April 13 and on October 1.” He said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorized the deployment of the THAAD battery at the direction of President Biden.