Israeli army says killed seven Hezbollah operatives in south Lebanon
The Israeli military said it killed seven Hezbollah militants who had operated near its so-called "security zone" in southern Lebanon on Friday.
The latest attack comes amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in an offshoot of the Middle East war that the United States and Iran are negotiating to bring to a definitive end.
While the fighting has diminished significantly in recent days, it has not stopped completely.
The military said in a statement it had "struck and eliminated seven Hezbollah terrorists who transferred weapons near the Security Zone in southern Lebanon," adding that it would "continue to operate to remove threats."
Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the regional war on March 2 with rocket fire at Israel to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader in U.S.-Israeli strikes. The group argues that it chose the right moment to retaliate to 15 months of Israeli attacks, with its leader Sheikh Naim Qassem also saying that it was "cleverness" to join Iran's battle and rely on its military capabilities in the region and in the face of Israel.
Israel responded with airstrikes and an invasion that Lebanon says have killed more than 4,200 people.
Under U.S. pressure, Lebanese officials began direct talks in April with Israel in Washington, and a truce was announced on April 17 but failed to stop the fighting.
A new ceasefire was declared this month as Tehran insists that its deal with the U.S. to end the Middle East war must include Lebanon.
Source: Agence France Presse
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