Israel launches fresh airstrikes on southern Lebanon: local media

Israel has launched fresh airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese media.

The Israeli artillery units hit the town of Blida in the Marjayoun district, the Lebanese official news agency said on Saturday.

An Anadolu correspondent on the ground reported that Israel launched missiles around Kfar Shuba region and the villages of Halta and Ghoraiba,

So far, 12 Hezbollah members and 3 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the clashes. A total of 3 civilians, including 1 journalist, died in Lebanon and 1 civilian died in Israel.

In the meantime, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant on Saturday said that Lebanese group Hezbollah has been paying a “heavy price” for taking part in the fighting.

“Hezbollah decided to take part in the fighting and is paying a heavy price," Galant said.

"We must prepare vigilantly for all possibilities because there are greater challenges ahead," he was quoted as saying by the Israeli Army Radio.

“We are going to flip the scale 180 degrees, the day of the attack will be remembered as the day when the final obliteration of Hamas started," Galant said.

"We are working in this direction. it will take time and there will be a price to it," he added.

He continued: "We are in a war, there is no other option. We will act whenever necessary and we will win in the war."

In his address to Israeli soldiers on the Lebanon border, Galant said: "The challenges will be greater, and you need to take that into account. We must be ready for any situation."

Tensions have flared along the Israeli-Lebanese border amid an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and the Hezbollah group.

The escalation came amid Israeli airstrikes against Gaza following a cross-border operation by the Palestinian group Hamas into Israeli border towns.

At least 4,385 Palestinians, including 1,756 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza, while the figure stands at more than 1,400 people in Israel.

Hezbollah has fought several wars with Israel, the latest of which was in 2006, during which the Lebanese group struck major Israeli cities with rockets, causing significant material damage.

Over 1,000 Lebanese were killed in the conflict, while much of southern Lebanon – a Hezbollah stronghold – was devastated by Israeli attacks.