Hezbollah claims 17 operations against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon: Iranian media

BEIRUT: Hezbollah carried out 17 operations on Wednesday targeting Israeli military positions, forces and vehicles in southern Lebanon, according to Iranian state media Press TV. Press TV reported that the operations included eight drone strikes, five missile or rocket attacks, one artillery strike, and one guided missile launch.

According to the news agency, Hezbollah targeted two 'Nimr' military vehicles, two 'Merkava' tanks, one armoured personnel carrier, and two military bulldozers during the attacks.



The group also claimed that its fighters "ambushed" Israeli troops near the outskirts of the town of Haddatha, using pre-planted explosives along with 'light and heavy weapons and artillery fire'.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Thursday, through its official Telegram channel, said that "a short while ago, an interceptor was launched toward a suspicious aerial target identified in the area in which IDF soldiers are operating in southern Lebanon." The military added that no sirens were activated "in accordance with protocol."

The IDF further said that in several incidents over recent hours, Hezbollah launched an anti-tank missile and several mortar shells that landed adjacent to areas where Israeli troops were operating in southern Lebanon. "No IDF injuries were reported, " the military said.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has declared that the group's military capabilities are strictly a domestic Lebanese concern and will not be placed on the bargaining table during ongoing hostilities with Israel.

According to a report by Al Jazeera, the Hezbollah chief took a defiant stance against Israeli military pressure, vowing that his fighters remain prepared for a prolonged confrontation. "We will not abandon the field. We will turn it into hell for Israel," Qassem asserted during a televised address.

This hardline stance on internal sovereignty comes as the volatile landscape between Lebanon and Israel remains defined by persistent and violent hostilities. As of mid May 2026, a US brokered ceasefire, originally initiated on April 17 and subsequently extended, is effectively viewed as existing only on paper.

The failure of this nominal cessation of hostilities is evident on the ground, where daily combat persists as Israel maintains a military foothold within a southern Lebanese buffer zone. Reports indicate that Israeli forces have controlled approximately 6 per cent of Lebanese territory since March.

The US department of state said that the next round of intensive talks between Israel and Lebanon, aimed at advancing a comprehensive peace and security agreement between the two countries as well as addressing the Hezbollah issue, will take place on May 14 and 15, with Washington set to facilitate the discussion.