IDF hits Iranian Quds Force terror assets in Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces on Friday conducted a wave of strikes targeting terror infrastructure across Lebanon, including a command center belonging to the Quds Force’s Lebanon Corps, the military said on Saturday.

The Quds Force, a branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for overseeing operations outside Iran, uses the Lebanon Corps as a liaison between Hezbollah and Tehran, supporting force buildup and military entrenchment.

In addition, the IDF struck two headquarters used by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which the terror group’s senior officials reportedly used for decision-making and coordination with Hezbollah.

The Israeli Navy also struck a Hezbollah observation post.

“We will not stop until we remove the threat for the long term and push the direct threat away from the communities. That is the objective... and is exactly why our troops are operating now: on land, in the air, and at sea,” IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said on Friday.

“The IDF will not relinquish the objective of disarming the Hezbollah terrorist organization. This is an ongoing objective to which we are committed, and we are continuously working to advance it, just as we did prior to the current operation. Deepening the strikes now, in the current operation, brings us closer to achieving this,” he added.

Earlier on Friday, the IDF released footage of a strike that destroyed a Hezbollah launch site in Lebanon from which rockets had been fired at Israel.

“The IDF will act to remove threats to the residents of the State of Israel and will continue to operate with determination against the Hezbollah terrorist organization,” the statement added.

The same day, the IDF identified a launch by Hezbollah that struck a UNIFIL post in the Al-Aadaissah area of southeastern Lebanon, across the border from Kibbutz Misgav Am, the military said.

As a result of the fire, three U.N. personnel were injured, two of them seriously.

“A review of the launch trajectory clearly indicates that the fire was carried out by Hezbollah,” the IDF said.

“The Hezbollah terrorist organization continues to operate in a manner that endangers international forces and harms U.N. personnel operating in the area,” it added.

The IDF said on Friday morning that it has struck more than 3,500 targets and killed about 1,000 Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon since the Iranian-backed group entered the war in support of Tehran a month ago.

“The IDF is operating with determination in Southern Lebanon through targeted ground operations in several areas, alongside strikes from the air, sea and land against all centers of gravity of the Hezbollah terrorist organization,” the military said.

The IDF’s 91st, 146th, 36th and 162nd Divisions are leading a focused ground operation, carrying out the dismantling of terror infrastructure and the elimination of enemy operatives, while deepening damage to Hezbollah’s capabilities and pushing it out of the area, the statement added.

At the same time, airstrikes have targeted weapons storage facilities, launch positions and command-and-control headquarters.