Hezbollah drone attack kills four Israeli soldiers

At least four Israeli soldiers were killed and approximately 60 others severely injured in a drone attack by Hezbollah on an army base in central Israel. This incident marks the deadliest strike by the militant group on Israeli territory since the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a ground operation into Lebanon nearly two weeks ago.

Rafi Sheva, a paramedic with Magen David Adom, described the scene as "difficult," stating that the drone strike caused injuries from both the blast and shrapnel. He reported that the injured required urgent life-saving treatment and surgery to stop bleeding and were swiftly evacuated to hospitals.

Hezbollah claimed that the attack near Binyamina was retaliation for Israeli airstrikes on Beirut, which resulted in the deaths of 22 people. Additionally, the group stated it launched dozens of missiles to target Israeli air defense systems, triggering air raid sirens in northern cities, including Haifa.

The ongoing conflict has seen Hezbollah, ideologically aligned with Hamas, intensifying its attacks on Israel since the war in Gaza began in October of the previous year. These exchanges of fire have displaced tens of thousands on both sides of the border.

Israel has responded with increasingly heavy airstrikes in Lebanon, including the capital, Beirut, and has deployed around 15,000 soldiers in the region. The Lebanese Health Ministry reports over 1,400 casualties in Lebanon since September, although it does not specify how many of those are Hezbollah fighters. Meanwhile, at least 58 people have died in rocket attacks on Israel, with nearly half of the fatalities being soldiers.