Israeli Strike on Lebanese Army Base Kills Soldier, Injures 18

An Israeli airstrike on a Lebanese army center on Sunday resulted in the death of one soldier and left 18 others injured, according to the Lebanese military. This attack adds to a series of Israeli strikes that have killed more than 40 Lebanese soldiers, despite the Lebanese military mostly remaining uninvolved in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah militants.

The Israeli military has not commented on the strike, but in the past, it has claimed that attacks on Lebanese troops were accidental and that Lebanese forces are not the target of its operations against Hezbollah.

Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, condemned the attack, calling it an obstruction to U.S.-led ceasefire efforts. He described the strike as a “direct, bloody message” rejecting peace efforts aimed at ending the war. Mikati criticized Israel for “brazenly rejecting” the ongoing peace talks.

The strike took place on the coastal road between Tyre and Naqoura in southwestern Lebanon, an area that has seen heavy fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated after Hezbollah began firing rockets, missiles, and drones into Israel in response to Hamas’ October 7 attack from Gaza, which ignited the Gaza war. Hezbollah has positioned its actions as a show of support for Palestinians and Hamas, both of which receive backing from Iran.

In retaliation, Israel has conducted extensive airstrikes, and the conflict intensified in September, with Israel launching waves of attacks across Lebanon and killing Hezbollah’s top leader and several commanders. On Saturday, Israeli airstrikes hit central Beirut, killing at least 20 people and injuring 66, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Hezbollah continued its rocket fire into Israel, which has led to casualties and forced people into shelters.

The conflict has resulted in over 3,500 deaths in Lebanon and displaced around 1.2 million people. On the Israeli side, around 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have been killed in bombings and combat since Israel’s ground invasion in early October, displacing about 60,000 people from northern Israel.

Efforts led by the Biden administration to secure a ceasefire have been ongoing, with U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein visiting the region last week. The potential agreement aims for the withdrawal of both Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops from southern Lebanon below the Litani River, in line with a U.N. resolution that ended the 2006 war. Lebanese troops would patrol the area, assisted by U.N. peacekeepers.

Lebanon’s army, reflecting the country’s religious diversity, is respected as a national institution but lacks the military strength to challenge Hezbollah or prevent Israeli incursions.