Israeli Forces Admits Hezbollah Drone Strike Killed Four Young Soldiers
By
OSABUOHIEN VIVIAN ROSE
Four Israeli soldiers were killed in Sunday’s drone attack on a military base in the town of Binyamina.
It reportedly hit the canteen when it was full for dinner and the ambulance service said 61 people were injured.
The Israel Defence Forces said the soldiers killed were all 19 years old.
It named them as Sergeant Omri Tamari, Sergeant Yosef Hieb, Sergeant Yoav Agmon and Sergeant Alon Amitay.
Hezbollah, regarded as a terror group by countries including the US and UK, said it was retaliation for an Israeli attack that killed 22 people in the Lebanese capital Beirut Thursday.
It claimed Sunday’s attack was engineered to avoid air defences and involved “squadrons” of drones.
The attack came on the same day the US said it would send a new air defence system to Israel, including troops to operate it.
Israel is tactically trying to weaken Hezbollah so as to allow thousands of its citizens under threat from rocket attack to return to homes near the border.
Its offensive has killed a number of key commanders, including the group’s leader, but many civilians have died and lost their homes since the airstrikes and limited ground invasion began.
The UN said there was a “further flagrant violation of international law” on Sunday when Israeli tanks forcibly entered the gates of one position, destroyed the main gate and fired smoke rounds.
Israel’s military said a tank trying to evacuate wounded soldiers had backed into a UN post while under fire and a smoke screen was used to provide cover.
It said it tries to maintain constant contact with the UN peacekeeping force in the region, known as UNIFIL.
In a video Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he regretted the incidents but accused peacekeepers of “providing a human shield” for Hezbollah and urged them to evacuate.
