An Israeli artillery attack in Odaisseh resulted in the death of one soldier and injuries to three others

On Tuesday, a Lebanese soldier was killed and three others injured due to Israeli artillery fire at their position on al-Awayda Hill in Odaisseh, located in southern Lebanon. This incident occurred amidst ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, which have involved exchanges of fire across the border.

The Lebanese army released a statement confirming the bombardment of their military position in Odaisseh by Israeli forces, resulting in one soldier’s death and injuries to three others. This marks the first death of a Lebanese soldier by Israeli fire since the escalation of cross-border tensions in October. So far, the conflict has claimed 109 lives in Lebanon, including at least 77 Hezbollah fighters and 14 civilians.

Hezbollah has actively engaged Israeli forces, targeting several posts including al-Assi, al-Taihat, Khallet Warde, Bayyad Blida, Dhaira, Jal al-Alam, and the Zebdine post in the occupied Shebaa farms. They claimed successful strikes and casualties on the Israeli side, even employing an attack drone against the Metulla Israeli post. Israeli reports indicated rocket impacts in the Kiryat Shmona settlement.

In response, the Israeli army conducted bombardments of various southern Lebanese towns, including Mays al-Jabal, Blida, Houla, Mhaibib, Aitaroun, Aita al-Shaab, al-Naqoura, Ramia, Tayr Harfa, Alma al-Shaab, Kfarkela, and al-Jebbayn.

The Israel-Hamas war, which began on October 7, has intensified the conflict along the Lebanon-Israel border, mainly involving Israel and Hezbollah, along with Palestinian groups. This has heightened concerns of a broader conflict. A week-long ceasefire that ended on Friday provided a brief respite, but hostilities resumed in southern Lebanon post-truce.

Since the conflict’s onset in October, over 110 people have been killed on the Lebanese side, predominantly Hezbollah fighters and civilians. On the Israeli side, six soldiers and three civilians have been reported killed by Israeli authorities. The United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon has also reported multiple instances of shelling at its headquarters.

Hezbollah, which had not maintained a visible military presence on Lebanon’s southern border since the 2006 conflict with Israel, stated it resumed activities in support of Hamas following the latter’s attack on Israel on October 7. U.N. peacekeepers are stationed along the border as part of the resolution that concluded the 2006 war.