Jerusalem, March 8 (IANS) The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that its Air Force attacked on Saturday suspects attempting to retrieve a drone in southern Gaza.
It added that the drone “was being monitored” by Israel throughout its flight, which had crossed overnight from Israeli territory into Gaza in what is suspected to be an attempt to smuggle weapons.
The IDF did not specify the number of casualties.
Israeli news website Ynet reported that the IDF is investigating what the drone has smuggled into the Strip.
In recent months, there have been several cases of similar attacks against Gazans who collected drones.
On Friday, at least two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike east of Gaza City, according to Palestinian sources, Xinhua news agency reported. They added that an Israeli drone targeted a gathering of Palestinians in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood, east of Gaza City, with a missile.
Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes on Friday evening carried out more than 20 airstrikes targetting several areas in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese media and security sources.
The Lebanese National News Agency reported that the aerial assault started at 9:15 pm (1915 GMT), targetting valleys and the outskirts of towns and villages in southern Lebanon, without specifying the casualties.
A Lebanese security source told Xinhua that, the airstrikes were conducted “within approximately 30 minutes, hitting forested areas and valleys located within the districts of Tyre, Nabatiyeh, Sidon, and Jezzine, deep in southern Lebanon.”
The IDF said in a statement that it conducted intelligence-based strikes on Hezbollah military sites in southern Lebanon.
It noted that weapons and rocket launchers belonging to Hezbollah were identified in the sites, which “posed a threat to Israel and constituted a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
“The IDF will continue to operate to remove any threat to Israel and will prevent any attempt by Hezbollah to reestablish and rebuild itself,” it added.
Since November 27, 2024, a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States and France has been in effect, ending more than a year of clashes between Hezbollah and Israel, which were triggered by the war in Gaza.
–IANS
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