Israel’s military said in a statement early on Monday that one soldier had been killed in combat on the Lebanese border and two soldiers were severely injured.
Israel bombed Lebanon overnight ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, as Israel’s defense minister declared all options were open for retaliation against arch-enemy Iran.
Israeli air strikes battered Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday in the most intense bombardment of the Lebanese capital since Israel sharply escalated its campaign against Iran-backed group Hezbollah last month. Large fireballs lit the darkened skyline and booms reverberated across Beirut.
The Israeli military claimed fighter jets struck targets in Beirut belonging to Hezbollah’s Intelligence Headquarters and weapons storage facilities. It said strikes also targeted Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa area.
Hezbollah rockets launched late on Sunday got past Israeli air defense systems and landed in Haifa, Israel’s third-largest city, causing damage to buildings, police said. Israeli media reported 10 people wounded in rocket strikes in Haifa and the city of Tiberias.