BEIRUT, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Lebanon’s Hezbollah announced on Friday that it had repelled an Israeli ground incursion near the southern Lebanese town of Majdal Zoun, claiming it destroyed several Merkava tanks and a military vehicle and forced the Israeli force to withdraw after hours of fighting.
In a statement, Hezbollah said the operation was carried out “in defense of Lebanon and its people” and in response to the ongoing Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement and ongoing attacks on villages in southern Lebanon.
According to the group, its fighters monitored an Israeli force consisting of 12 armored vehicles moving overnight from the town of Shama through the Wadi Hassan area toward the outskirts of Majdal Zoun in the Tyre district, under artillery and phosphorus shelling cover.
Hezbollah said the force came under repeated rocket and artillery fire, forcing it to retreat, while additional attacks targeted concentrations of Israeli troops and vehicles in Shama.
The group further said that its fighters struck two Merkava tanks with guided missiles, destroying them. It said Israeli forces later attempted to advance again toward Majdal Zoun at dawn.
According to the statement, Hezbollah fighters then ambushed the advancing force using small arms, medium weapons, and rockets, claiming to have destroyed two additional tanks and compelled the troops to withdraw toward the town of Tayr Harfa.
Hezbollah also said its artillery unit launched successive rocket barrages at withdrawing Israeli forces, while an explosive device destroyed an Israeli military vehicle in the Wadi Hassan area.
The developments come amid continuing tensions along Lebanon’s southern border and ongoing Israeli military operations despite a ceasefire that took effect on April 17 and was later extended through early July.
According to figures released on Thursday, the death toll from Israeli attacks in Lebanon since March 2 has risen to 3,711 killed in addition to 11,483 wounded persons.
Israel continues to maintain positions in southern Lebanon, some of them held for decades, and has expanded its military presence during the 2023–2024 fighting. During the current escalation, Israeli forces have reportedly advanced more than six miles (10 kilometers) into Lebanese territory, marking their deepest incursion since withdrawing from southern Lebanon in 2000.
