Israel airstrike targets Hezbollah arms depot in Lebanon

Tel Aviv, Aug 20 (IANS) Even as truce talks between Israel and Hamas are taking place, the former carried out an airstrike targeting a Hezbollah arms depot in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley.

However, no casualties were reported in the strike. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said the strikes injured eight people, including two Syrian children.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF ) in a statement late Monday night said that the military targeted Hezbollah arms depot.

The IDF in a statement said that it attacked “Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in the area of Bekaa Valley in Lebanon and added that the strike occurred hours after an IDF officer was killed in an explosive drone attack on northern Israel”.

The deceased Israeli officer was identified as Chief Warrant Officer Mahmood Amaria (45). The IDF also said that several soldiers were wounded at a military base near Ya’ara in Western Galilee.

The statement further said, “Following the strikes, secondary explosions were identified, indicating the presence of large amounts of weapons in the facilities struck.”

Hezbollah, it may be recalled had fired five explosive drones at Israel on Monday. Israel has retaliated by attacking the Hezbollah arms depot.

Lebanese state media reported that at least three Israeli airstrikes hit towns in Lebanon’s northeastern Baalbek district.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasarullah had openly stated that the organisation would avenge the death of its military commander, Fuad Shukr who was assassinated by Israel on July 30 in Beirut hours before the killing of Hamas political bureau chief, Ismael Haniyeh.

Meanwhile, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to the American 'bridging proposal' on the release of hostages after a three-hour meeting with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jerusalem. "The Prime Minister reiterated Israel's commitment to the current American proposal on the release of our hostages, which takes into account Israel's security needs, which he strongly insists on," Netanyahu's Office said in a statement on Monday. The statement marked the first time Netanyahu publicly endorsed the latest US formula.

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