The strike, which occurred near the city of Binyamina, marks the deadliest assault by the Lebanon-based militant group since Israel launched its ground invasion of Lebanon nearly two weeks ago.
A Hezbollah drone attack on an Israeli army base in central Israel killed four soldiers and severely wounded seven others on Sunday, according to the Israeli military.
The strike, which occurred near the city of Binyamina, marks the deadliest assault by the Lebanon-based militant group since Israel launched its ground invasion of Lebanon nearly two weeks ago.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack, described it as retaliation for an Israeli airstrike on Beirut that killed 22 people last Thursday.
In a statement, the group said the attack targeted Israel’s elite Golani brigade, using a barrage of missiles to overwhelm Israeli air defence systems before launching a wave of drone strikes.
Israel’s national rescue service reported that a total of 61 people were wounded in the attack, an unusually high number given the country’s sophisticated air defence capabilities.
The ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which has seen near-daily exchanges of fire over the past year, has now reached a new level of intensity, with casualties mounting on both sides.
Simultaneously, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza left at least 20 Palestinians dead, according to health officials in the region.
The strikes are part of Israel’s ongoing military campaign aimed at weakening Hezbollah and other militant groups, while also securing the return of displaced Israelis to their homes near the northern border.
AP reports that at least 20 people, including children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza's Nuseirat on Sunday night, according to local hospitals. The school had been sheltering Palestinians displaced by the ongoing war.
In another incident, early Monday explosions struck near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, killing three people and injuring about 50, the hospital reported. Residents rushed the injured into the hospital after tents caught fire in the blast.
Meanwhile, a Hezbollah attack on Israel coincided with the U.S. announcement of a new air-defence system being sent to Israel, along with the necessary troops.
Israel is now engaged in conflict with both Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, with retaliatory strikes against Iran anticipated after a recent missile attack. Iran has vowed to respond to any Israeli aggression.
The U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, condemned a Sunday incident where Israeli tanks entered a peacekeeper position, destroyed a gate, and later fired smoke rounds that caused skin irritation to the personnel.
UNIFIL labelled the incident a violation of international law, amid growing global criticism of Israeli attacks on U.N. forces, which have left five peacekeepers injured.
The U.N. expressed concern, warning such actions could constitute war crimes.
Israel’s military claims Hezbollah operates near U.N. forces but hasn’t provided evidence.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the evacuation of U.N. peacekeepers, accusing them of acting as “human shields” for Hezbollah, though Israel expressed regret for their injuries and pledged to investigate any harm caused to them.
In southern Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes destroyed a historic market in Nabatiyeh, killing one person and injuring four. The Israeli military stated it was targeting Hezbollah.
Amid the chaos, Lebanese Red Cross paramedics searching for casualties after an airstrike were themselves injured in a second strike. The operation had been coordinated with U.N. peacekeepers.
In Gaza, Israeli air and ground forces continue to assault the densely populated Jabaliya refugee camp, where militants are said to have regrouped.
Meanwhile, hospitals in the north are under evacuation orders, but no timetable has been set. Northern Gaza remains under heavy bombardment, and food supplies to the area have been cut off since early October.
The war, which began after Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack a year ago, has seen over 42,000 Palestinians killed according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which reports that women and children make up more than half of the casualties.
However, Israel claims to have killed over 17,000 fighters, though no evidence has been provided.