Hezbollah fire hurts eight IDF troops as Zamir vows ‘collapse of Iranian axis’

Eight Israel Defense Forces soldiers were wounded on Friday by Hezbollah projectile fire near the Lebanese border.

Five of the soldiers were seriously hurt, while three sustained lighter injuries. All were evacuated for medical treatment, and their families have been notified.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s son was among those lightly wounded.

Overnight Friday, the IDF completed a wave of strikes targeting rocket launchers, weapons storage facilities and military sites belonging to Hezbollah across Southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley.

Earlier, two Radwan Force command centers were struck in the area of Majdal Selm in southeastern Lebanon. The commanders who were targeted “operated recently to advance and carry out various terror attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians,” the military said.

“The IDF is operating with determination against Hezbollah as a result of the terrorist organization’s decision to deliberately attack Israel on behalf of the Iranian terrorist regime. The IDF will not tolerate any harm to the residents of the State of Israel,” it added.

Also on Friday, the Israeli Air Force struck additional terror targets in the Dahiyeh district of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold. Among the targets hit were an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Air Force command center and facilities used by Hezbollah’s naval unit, financial unit and Operating Council, the IDF said.

Measures were taken to minimize harm to civilians, including the use of precision munitions, aerial surveillance and additional intelligence.

The IAF overnight Thursday conducted a broad wave of strikes in Beirut, targeting Hezbollah terror infrastructure. The attacks hit terror command centers, multi-story buildings used by the Iranian proxy and a facility for storing UAVs used for attacks on Israel.

The IDF has issued an “urgent” warning for residents of parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs to immediately evacuate their homes to “save your lives.”

Since the start of “Operation Roaring Lion” on Feb. 28, the IDF has struck more than 500 terror targets in Lebanon.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir conducted a situational assessment at Northern Command headquarters in Safed on Friday alongside members of the General Staff Forum. During the meeting, Zamir ordered the continued reinforcement and strengthening of defenses along the border.

Afterward, Zamir spoke with heads of local authorities in northern Israel, presenting the operational situational picture and stressing the importance of deepening control along the Lebanon border.

The chief of staff highlighted the IDF’s commitment to protecting residents and expressed appreciation to local authorities and citizens for the resilience, responsibility and spirit they have demonstrated on the home front.

“Hezbollah and the Iranian regime are one and the same—we will complete the collapse of the Iranian axis and continue striking the enemy,” the general said.

“Hezbollah chose to join the operation alongside Iran, and it is paying the price. We will seize every opportunity to strike Hezbollah, advance achievements, and remove the threat. We will not relinquish the disarming of Hezbollah,” he added.

“This is a major opportunity. Significant work is being carried out here, and we are preparing for a prolonged operation. We will do everything to seize the opportunity and bring about a change in the security situation,” said Zamir.

IDF soldiers have been deployed across Lebanon’s south as part of a “robust forward defensive posture” in response to Hezbollah’s decision on Monday to join the war on behalf of Iran.

Defense Minister Israel Katz announced this week that ground forces had been authorized to advance and seize additional command areas in Lebanon to prevent attacks on Israeli border communities.

“We promised security for the Galilee communities, and that is what we will deliver,” Katz said.