Israel conducts airstrike on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) fighter jets carried out strikes tonight, June 11, on several Hezbollah targets in the Baalbek and Aitaroun areas of Lebanon, according to the IDF Telegram channel.
The Israeli military noted that the military complex of Hezbollah's Unit 4400, a unit responsible for logistical support, was targeted in the attack.
"The unit is used to smuggle weapons to and from Lebanon. In the complex, two sites located in the area of Baalbek deep in Lebanon were struck," the IDF said.
It was also reported that strikes were carried out on terrorist targets in the Aitaroun area in southern Lebanon, including a military facility and two Hezbollah military structures.
The Israeli Defense Forces explained these airstrikes as a response to the downing of an IDF drone, which operated in the skies of Lebanon on June 10.
A video of the Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon was released in the post.
Israel's strikes on Hezbollah
Hezbollah (Party of God in Arabic, taken from the Quran) is a Lebanese Shiite organization and political party that advocates for the creation of an Islamic state in Lebanon.
This organization was founded during the Lebanese Civil War in 1982 by a group of radical Shiite clerics with financial support from Iran. Its stated goal was to provide a military response to the Israeli occupation of parts of Lebanon.
Hezbollah is recognized as a terrorist organization by several governments and the European Union.
Israel and Lebanon often accuse each other of attacks within their territories. With the start of the IDF ground operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah militants began to fire more frequently into Israeli territory. In turn, the IDF claims to strike terrorist targets in Lebanon.
For example, in April, the Israeli Defense Forces struck a large Hezbollah weapons production facility in Lebanon. Additionally, on April 15, the IDF conducted airstrikes on two bases of this terrorist organization in Lebanon. A few days later, the Israeli Air Force struck Hezbollah infrastructure in eastern Lebanon.
In late April, it became known that French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne would visit Lebanon to propose measures to prevent further escalation and potential war between Israel and Hezbollah.