Israel Pounds Hezbollah Sites in Lebanon After Explosive Device Wounds Two IDF Soldiers

The Israeli military has announced a series of operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, including retaliatory airstrikes after two Israeli soldiers were wounded by an explosive device and separate strikes that killed two Hamas commanders.

The Israeli Air Force said the Lebanon strikes were launched shortly after an IDF engineering vehicle hit an explosive device that Israel attributed to Hezbollah. In Gaza, the military said it had killed Muhammad Jamal Ahmad Eid and Saleh Ziyad Ibrahim Al-Qudah, whom it identified as commanders in Hamas’s military wing.

Israeli Soldiers Wounded by Explosive Device in Southern Lebanon

The latest confrontation in Lebanon began on September 19 when an Israeli military engineering vehicle drove over an explosive device in what Israel calls the security zone in southern Lebanon.

According to the IDF, the explosive belonged to Hezbollah.

Two Israeli soldiers sustained light injuries in the blast and were evacuated for medical treatment. Their families were subsequently informed, the military said.

The incident triggered an almost immediate Israeli military response.

Israeli Air Force Launches Retaliatory Strikes

The Israeli Air Force said it attacked multiple Hezbollah-linked sites across several locations in southern Lebanon following the explosion.

Among the targets were observation positions and other infrastructure that the IDF alleged had been used by Hezbollah members to prepare and carry out attacks against Israeli forces.

The Israeli military described the strikes as a direct response to the explosive-device incident and said it would continue taking action against attempts by Hezbollah to attack its troops.

IDF Vows Continued Operations Against Hezbollah

The Israeli military said its forces remained deployed in southern Lebanon’s security zone under the existing agreement and would continue operations aimed at eliminating threats to Israeli troops and civilians.

The September 19 explosion came amid continuing Israeli operations against Hezbollah positions and weapons in southern Lebanon.

Earlier in September, the IDF reported discovering anti-tank missiles, rocket launchers, RPGs, grenades, explosive devices and other weapons during operations in the area.

Days before the latest blast, Israeli troops also reported destroying launchers containing 32 rockets that the IDF said had been positioned toward Israeli territory before the ceasefire agreement.

Israel Announces Killing of Hamas Nukhba Commander

Separate Israeli operations were conducted in Gaza, where the IDF announced on September 17 that Muhammad Jamal Ahmad Eid had been killed in a strike in the Al-Bureij area.

The Israeli military identified Eid as a commander in the Nukhba forces of Hamas’s military wing.

According to the IDF, Eid entered Israeli territory during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack.

Israel said his activities since then included advancing plans for attacks against Israeli forces and civilians.

Hamas Naval Commander Also Targeted in Gaza City

The Israeli military also announced the killing of Saleh Ziyad Ibrahim Al-Qudah in a separate operation in the Gaza City area.

The IDF identified Al-Qudah as a platoon commander within the naval forces of Hamas’s military wing.

Israel said both Eid and Al-Qudah had recently been involved in efforts to prepare attacks, increase the operational readiness of Hamas fighters and rebuild the organisation’s capabilities.

The IDF characterised those activities as systematic violations of the ceasefire and said the two men were targeted because it considered them continuing threats.

IDF Says Precautions Were Taken Before Gaza Strikes

The Israeli military said precautions were implemented before carrying out the strikes against the two Hamas figures.

According to the IDF, those measures included aerial surveillance and the use of precision-guided weapons intended to reduce the possibility of harming civilians.

The military did not provide details in the statements about possible civilian casualties resulting from the operations.

Israeli Forces Remain Deployed in Gaza

Israel said Southern Command forces remain deployed in Gaza in accordance with the existing agreement.

The military said those troops would continue acting against what it considers immediate threats to Israeli forces and civilians.

The latest announcements show the IDF continuing operations on two fronts, targeting Hamas figures accused of rebuilding military capabilities in Gaza while striking Hezbollah infrastructure following attacks against Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.

The claims concerning the roles and recent activities of the Hamas commanders, as well as Israel’s attribution of the Lebanon explosive device to Hezbollah, are based primarily on information released by the Israeli military.