Israel said on Wednesday eight of its soldiers were killed in combat in south Lebanon as its forces thrust into its northern neighbour in a campaign against the Hezbollah armed group.
The losses were the deadliest suffered by the Israeli military on the Lebanon front in the past year of border-area clashes between Israel and its Iranian-backed Lebanese foe.
Hezbollah said its fighters were engaging Israeli forces inside Lebanon on Wednesday, reporting ground clashes for the first time since Israeli forces pushed over the border. Hezbollah said it had destroyed three Israeli Merkava tanks with rockets near the border town of Maroun El Ras.
Iran said on Wednesday its missile volley – its biggest-ever assault on Israel – was over barring further provocation, but Israel and the United States promised to hit back hard.
A 38-year-old Palestinian from Gaza, the only known fatality in Iran’s attack on Israel, was buried on Wednesday.
Sameh Khadr Hassan Al-Asali had been staying in a Palestinian security forces compound in the West Bank when he was killed by falling missile debris during Tuesday’s attack, which Israel said was largely foiled by its air defence systems.
