Hezbollah drone attack wounds 18 IDF soldiers in Golan Heights, IDF eliminates several terrorists

An IDF soldier was seriously wounded and 17 others lightly injured when a Hezbollah drone struck near Kibbutz Merom Golan on Sunday evening, according to Army Radio.

The Lebanese terror group Hezbollah launched several drones toward the Golan Heights in the attack, which followed a rocket barrage that set off sirens in several communities in the northern Galilee “panhandle,” including HaGoshrim, Beit Hillel and Ma’ayan Baruch

Hezbollah’s multiple attacks early on Sunday evening followed strikes by Israel Defense Forces against two terrorist squads earlier in the day, which killed several operatives.

כוחות חטיבת האש של אוגדה 91 זיהו מוקדם יותר היום מחבל נכנס למבנה צבאי בו שהו מחבלים נוספים, במרחב חולא שבדרום לבנון. זמן קצר לאחר הזיהוי, מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר תקפו את המבנה בו שהו המחבלים>> pic.twitter.com/QwqN3UCchp

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 30, 2024

The first strike targeted a terrorist who had joined several others in a military building near Houla, while the second strike hit another terror squad gathered in Kfar Kila.

In addition, the IDF said it had carried out a wave of strikes against Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon, including in the areas of a-Taiba and Rab al-Thalathin.

מטוסי קרב תקפו במהלך הלילה תשתית מבצעית ומבנה צבאי של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחבים א-טייבה ורב א-תלתין שבדרום לבנון pic.twitter.com/1K7cQuIk53

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 30, 2024

Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire in a quasi-war for more than eight months, when the Lebanese terrorists began shooting at Israeli targets on Oct. 8 in support of the Iranian-backed proxy Hamas in Gaza.

Behind the scenes, the United States and France have been working to mediate between the parties in an increasingly desperate effort to prevent a war that could potentially draw in the Iranian regime and destabilize the broader region.

On Saturday, Saudi Arabia joined the list of countries urging its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately, after Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and Kuwait issued similar calls.

Within Lebanon, voices from communities outside of Hezbollah’s Shiite Muslim support base have increasingly protested the terror group’s apparent decision to drag the country into war.

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora harshly criticized Hezbollah forces recently, stating that the group, in effect, abolished the Lebanese state. He also lamented “the number of casualties, the number of wounded and the destruction caused in Lebanon in all the villages and towns near the border with Israel in recent months.”

During the interview with the al-Arabiya news channel, Siniora stated that a war could erupt due to a mistake, despite all parties asserting they have no interest in conflict.

“Everyone is talking about the fact that Hezbollah can cause Israel enormous destruction and a large number of deaths, but has anyone wondered what damage can be caused in Lebanon? There are those here who walk on the brink of an abyss,” he added.

Lebanon’s Patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Christians, Bechara al-Ra’i, a well-known critic of Hezbollah, warned that a war would kill the peaceful citizens and drive citizens from their homes.

“There are no winners in war, everyone loses and is weak, heroism is in making peace and resolving peace and in the language of negotiation,” al-Ra’i said in his sermon on Sunday.