Hezbollah Lebanon: We Fired Over 60 Rockets at Israeli Positions

The Iran-backed group Hezbollah in Lebanon announced that on Thursday, in response to overnight airstrikes in eastern Lebanon, it fired "over 60" rockets at Israeli military positions. Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire nearly every day since the October 7 attack by the extremist group Hamas on southern Israel, which sparked the Gaza war. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and Israel. According to AFP, Hezbollah stated on Thursday, May 17, that its members carried out a "rocket attack with over 60 Katyusha rockets" targeting several Israeli military positions in the Golan Heights, which is occupied by Israel. The group added that these attacks were "in response" to Israel's previous night's strikes on the Bekaa region in Baalbek, eastern Lebanon. The Israeli army later reported that it had identified "approximately 40 launches" of rockets from Lebanon "toward the Golan Heights," with "no casualties". The Israeli army also stated that Israeli forces fired at the positions from which the rockets were launched. Early Thursday, Lebanese state media reported on Israel's nighttime airstrike on the Baalbek area, where Hezbollah has influence, just hours after the group's attack deep into Israeli territory. A source close to Hezbollah told AFP that one of the strikes "targeted a Hezbollah military camp". The Baalbek region in the Bekaa Valley is one of Hezbollah's main positions, located near the Syrian border. On Wednesday, Hezbollah announced that it had launched drones at a military base near the Israeli city of Tiberias, marking one of the deepest attacks into Israel since border clashes began on October 8. This attack followed Israel's announcement on Tuesday that it had killed one of Hezbollah's field commanders in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah also stated that the Israeli attack killed Hussein Maki, a member of the group identified by a source close to Hezbollah as a field commander. According to reports, border clashes have so far killed at least 413 people in Lebanon, mostly militants. Israel claims that 14 soldiers and 10 civilians have also been killed in its territory in border areas with Lebanon. Tens of thousands have been displaced in areas on both sides of the border. Israel captured a large part of the Golan Heights from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it, a move not recognized by the international community. On Thursday, May 17, the Israeli army announced that five of its paratroopers were killed by friendly fire from a tank in the operational area of Jabalia in northern Gaza. This incident occurred on Wednesday night, and in addition to the five paratroopers, seven others from the 202nd Battalion were injured, with three of their injuries described as "serious". The 202nd Battalion had entered the operational area of Jabalia earlier this week along with the 98th Brigade. Israeli soldiers fell victim to friendly fire in Gaza. According to Israeli media, initial army investigations into this incident indicate that the forces of two Israeli tanks witnessed a weapon emerging from a window on Wednesday night and fired artillery at that point from several dozen meters away. Yedioth Ahronoth reported that armored forces had suspected the presence of Hamas militants in the area. The army added that it is continuing its investigations in this regard. Since the ground entry of the Israeli army into Gaza four weeks after the surprise attack by the extremist group Hamas into Israeli territory, about 260 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza. Israeli media reported that in the first two months of the war, 29 soldiers were killed due to friendly fire. This type of casualty from friendly fire had decreased in the following months of the war. The war between the Israeli army and the extremist group Hamas, which is also recognized as terrorist by the U.S. and the European Union, marks its 223rd day on May 17. The Israeli army, which had completed extensive operations searching for Hamas militants in Jabalia in the early months of the war, has returned to Jabalia following repeated rocket attacks on southern Israeli cities like Sderot, Beersheba, and Ashkelon. The Israeli army announced that it had shot down two attack drones that had been sent toward Israeli airspace from the east on Wednesday night before entering Israeli airspace. The Israeli Air Force released footage of the interception and explosion of the drones, stating that the drones were destroyed shortly after takeoff. According to Israeli media, the two drones had taken off from Iraqi airspace. The Kata'ib Hezbollah Iraq, a Shiite group aligned with the Islamic Republic and Hezbollah Lebanon, announced that the drones were sent to target refinery facilities in Haifa port. Meanwhile, the U.S. Central Command, CENTCOM, announced on Thursday that it had completed the construction of a pier for the entry of humanitarian aid on the Gaza coast and that aid would begin from this pier in the coming days. The U.S. Army began constructing a temporary pier for humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza. It is estimated that daily shipments for 90 to 150 trucks will arrive from Cyprus to this pier. The construction of the pier began a month and a half ago. No U.S. military forces will enter Gaza as part of this plan, but they will, according to the Biden administration, closely monitor the security situation along the coastline. The practical security provision in these shores is the responsibility of Israel. The Israeli army, which has cooperated with CENTCOM in establishing the pier, announced that the maritime aid corridor would begin its practical operations on Friday.