Israel Targets Aishiyeh, Site of Hezbollah Drone Takedown

Israeli warplanes conducted an airstrike in the valley between the towns of al-Aishiyeh and al-Mahmoudiyeh in the Jezzine district, following the downing of an Israeli drone there overnight.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah engaged Israeli forces at the Hanita and Dhaira military posts in northern Israel, as well as targeting surveillance equipment near al-Wazzani. The group claimed responsibility for shooting down an Israeli Hermes 450 drone over al-Aishiyeh in southern Lebanon on Sunday night and executed several attacks on Israeli soldiers and surveillance systems the same day.

In a related development, Hamas’s military faction in southern Lebanon launched 20 rockets at a northern Israeli military base, continuing the pattern of frequent cross-border hostilities, often involving Hezbollah, since the October 7 Hamas-initiated conflict in Gaza.

The ongoing exchanges have resulted in significant casualties. In Lebanon, the conflict has led to the deaths of at least 375 people, predominantly Hezbollah fighters, but also including 70 civilians, per an AFP tally. On the Israeli side, the conflict has claimed the lives of 10 soldiers and eight civilians.

Recently, tensions have escalated with intensified Hezbollah assaults on Israeli military sites. This period of increased conflict follows an April 13 retaliatory drone and missile strike by Iran—supporter of both Hezbollah and Hamas—on Israel, which was in response to a destructive April 1 Israeli airstrike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus.