Israel caused serious damage to Hezbollah's operational capabilities, and this forces the Lebanese Shiite movement to cover up the difficulties it is experiencing, said the Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli Army, General Herzi Halevi, quoted by DPA and BTA.
"Hezbollah is trying to cover up the significant losses we have inflicted on the terrorist organization in recent weeks," he said, assessing the situation. "Their command-and-control structure is experiencing problems, impeding decision-making at all levels and challenging their operational capabilities."
Iran has not yet realized the seriousness of the situation in which its ally has fallen, operating on Israel's northern border, Halevi's assessment indicates. The general added that Israel will continue to strike the Shiite movement "with the same intensity without allowing it to rest and recover its strength".
The Israeli army announced that it had intercepted an unmanned aerial vehicle that was flying towards Israel from the Red Sea, Reuters reported.
According to the Israeli military, the drone did not enter Israel's territory. The announcement came minutes after the Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced it had carried out a drone attack on the Israeli city of Eilat.
In Lebanon, an Israeli attack killed five medics working for the civil protection service, the Ministry of Health in Beirut said, as quoted by DPA.
According to the department, at the time of the attack, they were in a civil defense center in the city of Derdgaya. The ministry condemned the attacks on aid workers and rescuers in Lebanon. The agency accused Israel of once again showing disregard for international law and humanitarian conventions.
Civil Defense confirmed the attack on its employees and added that at the time of the attack they were on duty ready to respond to emergency situations. These details cannot be independently verified, DPA added.
US President Joe Biden called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to minimize civilian casualties, particularly in residential areas of Beirut, while reaffirming his support for strikes on the Iranian-backed Lebanese group "Hezbollah", the White House announced after the telephone conversation between the two leaders, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
On the issue of Gaza, they discussed "the urgent need to resume diplomatic efforts to free the hostages held by "Hamas,", the presidency in Washington said.
The American leader's conversation also discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the fact that access to the northern part of the Palestinian enclave, including the corridor from Jordan, must be restored as soon as possible, the White House added.