Israel says only 27 soldiers have been killed since its forces invaded south Lebanon [Getty]
Five Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon Thursday night, the military has announced, as invading troops continue clashing with Hezbollah fighters.
Twenty-four other soldiers were wounded, four of them in critical condition, the military said.
According to Times of Israel, four of the reservists were killed when Hezbollah fighters emerged from a tunnel shaft and threw grenades, while the fifth soldier was killed in a separate incident.
This brought the number up to 10 soldiers killed and more than 60 wounded in the past 24 hours, according to the military.
Israel says only 27 soldiers have been killed since it began what it called its “limited ground operations” in southern Lebanon at the start of this month. But Hezbollah earlier this week claims it has killed 70 Israeli soldiers.
Hezbollah often says Israel is dishonest about its casualty numbers.
The Israeli military says its incursion across the border aims to dismantle Hezbollah’s infrastructure. It has already blown up several border villages and continues to conduct violent strikes across Lebanon’s south, warning residents against returning home.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group has been battered in a wave of heavy blows since last month, which has seen much of its senior command structure eliminated, including leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi said Thursday evening that the war on the northern front with Lebanon could actually stop after Hezbollah’s commanders were taken out – but this has not reflected the position taken by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has refused a ceasefire deal.
But despite this, there is belief that the group is regrouping and beginning to use more sophisticated weaponry in the war.
It has not stopped firing missiles or drones at Israel, and has claimed to be behind a drone attack on Netanyahu’s residence in Caesarea last weekend.
“Hezbollah is under pressure due to the intense activity of the IDF, and it is trying to use heavy weapons to get out of the impasse,” Israeli newspaper Maariv wrote this week.
“The IDF admitted that Hezbollah had begun using the new generation of anti-tank missiles, which are remotely guided missiles using a television camera, with a range of up to 10 kilometres, an upgrade from Soviet missiles that were apparently upgraded in China or Iran,” the publication reported.
There has been a longstanding belief that Hezbollah is in possession of a massive stockpile of rockets, including ballistic missiles capable of reaching the far depths of Israel.
The Israeli military claims it has destroyed two-thirds of Hezbollah’s firepower and inflicted heavy losses on its ranks.
As a result, Hezbollah has been forced to fire at Israel farther from the border, posing a challenge to the Israeli army which is then forced to retaliate deeper in Lebanese territory, a move that requires greater safety margins, according to Maariv.
