5:03 a.m. ET, April 21, 2024
Israeli military strikes four locations in Lebanon overnight, Lebanese state-run news agency reports
From CNN’s Charbel Mallo, Benjamin Brown, and Irene Nasser
Israeli strikes hit four sites in southern Lebanon overnight, Lebanese state-owned National News Agency reported, as regional tensions intensify over Israel's military campaign in Gaza. The strikes hit the villages of Khiam, Tayr Harfa, Kfarkella near Odaisseh, and in an area between Ramieh and Beit Leif.
The Israeli military confirmed bombardment on three of the four locations, hitting what it said were Hezbollah targets. Hezbollah is an Iran-backed, Lebanese
militant group with one of the most powerful paramilitary forces in the Middle East.
In Tayr Harfa, Israeli forces said "a terrorist was identified operating inside a Hezbollah military structure" which fighter jets struck. Elsewhere, Israeli troops hit "an observation post" in Odaisseh and "two military structures" in Khiam.
Israel-Lebanon relations: Israeli and Hezbollah forces have engaged in cross-border fire and
tit-for-tat exchanges since October 7, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage.
Hezbollah’s political stance has unambiguously supported the Palestinian militants. It has roundly condemned Israel’s relentless airstrikes on Gaza, which
have killed more than 34,000 Palestinians and injured more than 76,900, according to the Ministry of Health there.
CNN's Tamara Qiblawi and Abeer Salman contributed reporting.