Israeli military claims 250 Hezbollah fighters killed in Lebanon in ground operation

The Israeli armed forces have taken the lives of approximately 250 Hezbollah combatants since the commencement of their ground operation in Lebanon earlier this week, according to IDF's statement on Friday.

The fatalities include 5 battalion, 10 company and 6 platoon commanders, said the Israeli military while claiming that it had hit more than 2,000 Hezbollah military targets.

Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani stated that the military is currently evaluating the extent of the damage inflicted by the airstrikes conducted in southern Beirut on Thursday night, as per Reuters report. The target of these strikes, as said by Shoshani, was Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters.

Hezbollah has not officially released any information regarding the number of casualties they have suffered.

IDF also said that, "The Israeli Air Force is also conducting preemptive strikes during these intelligence-based operations in southern Lebanon."

Meanwhile, the military also announced that two IDF soldiers from the Golani Brigade were killed in combat northern Israel, and two others severely wounded in a drone attack launched from 'from the east'.

Also, earlier in the day, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei gave a sermon, in a first public appearance in 5 years, expressing his support for the attacks carried out by Hamas and Iran against Israel, deeming them as "legal and legitimate".

The sermon, which took place at a mosque in the capital city, was attended by a large crowd of worshippers. During his address, Khamenei asserted that the United States and its allies were maintaining Israel's security with the intention of utilising the country as a gateway for exporting energy from the region to Western nations. He also proclaimed that the resistance against the Zionist force would remain steadfast and unwavering in their stance.