Israeli army says three rockets fired at Ashkelon from Gaza
The Israeli army says three rockets have been fired from Gaza at the southern city of Ashkelon.
One has been shot down while two fell in an open area, it said on X. No casualties were reported.
Israel army says readying ‘decisive’ push against Hezbollah
An Israeli military commander says troops in the country’s north are preparing for “a decisive offensive” against the Lebanese group after months of deadly cross-border exchanges.
Israeli forces have traded near-daily fire with Hezbollah since October 8.
Major General Ori Gordin, Israel’s commanding officer in the north, told soldiers, “We have already eliminated more than 500 terrorists in Lebanon, the great majority of them from Hezbollah,” according to a statement released by the army.
According to an AFP tally, at least 523 people have been killed in Lebanon since the war in Gaza began. Most of them, 342 people, were reportedly Hezbollah fighters, but the tally also includes 104 civilians. Gordin did not mention civilian casualties.
The exchanges of fire have been largely restricted to border areas and have displaced tens of thousands of Lebanese and Israelis.
The Israeli military has “destroyed thousands” of targets across the border, Gordin said. He said soldiers were now preparing “for the transition to offence”. “When the moment comes and we go on the offensive, it will be a decisive offensive,” Gordin added.
