As of Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 2, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has reported that eight Israeli soldiers have been killed in Lebanon, with another seven wounded. According to AP, the IDF said seven of them were killed in two separate attacks, following an earlier statement terming Israel’s first combat death in Lebanon early this morning.
In the aftermath of Israeli efforts to decapitate Hezbollah, the organization remains defiant. In his first public address on Sept. 30, Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem struck a defiant tone following the killing of the group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, and said his forces were ready for battle. “We are quite ready, if the Israelis want a ground incursion, the resistance forces are ready for that,” Qassem declared.
The IDF announced this morning that additional combat units will be joining “the targeted raids” on Hezbollah during Israel’s ground operation in southern Lebanon, reported the Jerusalem Post. The 36th Division, with at least two brigades, will be joining the fighting along with the 282nd Artillery Brigade. They are joining the 98th Division, which deployed to Israel’s north some weeks ago and has already been involved in ground incursions. The Post notes that the IDF’s entry into southern Lebanon began on Monday evening is the first time that Israel’s military has entered Lebanon on the ground since 2006.
On Oct. 1, after the ground incursions began, the Israeli army ordered tens of thousands of Lebanese to flee their homes and head 60 km away from the border region. The Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee, wrote on the social media platform X that the inhabitants of 26 towns had to immediately leave their homes and head north of the Awali River for their “own safety,” reported Middle East Eye. “Anyone who is near Hezbollah members, installations and combat equipment is putting his life in danger. Any home used by Hezbollah for its military needs is expected to be targeted,” he added.
