Hezbollah in a new Wednesday statement claims that it has killed over 70 Israeli troops since the IDF’s cross-border offensive began in southern Lebanon earlier this month.

“Hezbollah says its fighters killed more than 70 Israeli troops in its clashes with Israeli forces, updating a statement from last week saying 55 were killed since a ground invasion was launched earlier this month,” Reuters reports based on the statement.

Illustrative file image: AFP

Israel’s own casualty count significantly differs, as it says it has lost about 20 soldiers inside Lebanon during the offensive operations. 

But over more than the past year of Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks, Israel says it has lost 30 more troops who were stationed in northern Israel. 

The IDF has put the number of Hezbollah militants it has killed in the hundreds. This includes the latest high-value target which both sides have belatedly confirmed killed: Hashem Safieddine.

Safieddine was widely seen as taking over leadership of Hezbollah in the wake of Hasan Nasrallah’s death. Israel has reportedly killed at least seven high-ranking Hezbollah commanders and officials in recent weeks.

Hezbollah confirmed Safieddine’s death in a statement, saying “We pledge to our great martyr and his martyred brothers to continue the path of resistance and jihad until achieving its goals of freedom and victory.”

Israel has continued targeting Beirut alongside ground operations in south Lebanon, but the port city of Tyre has also been coming under heavy bombardment on Wednesday. 

Both sides are touting successes. Al Jazeera reports on the Lebanese side as follows:

Hezbollah says it fired “precision missiles” and launched new types of attack drones for the first time in clashes with Israeli troops.

The Lebanese group said it was able to push back Israeli soldiers during battles in several border villages in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah said it forced Israeli troops to “retreat behind the frontier” after they attempted to infiltrate from the outskirts of the south Lebanon village of Aitaroun.

Wednesday also witnessed an attempted Hezbollah strike deep into Israel, on Tel Aviv.

Hezbollah has belatedly confirmed the death of the Shia cleric seen as stepping into Nasrallah’s place…

⚡️#BREAKING Hezb-Allah announces the “martyrdom of the head of the Executive Council of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hashem Safi al-Din” pic.twitter.com/v2wgnqCU07

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) October 23, 2024

“Two launches were intercepted by the air force, another launch fell in an open area, in addition, a fall was detected in the area. So far, no casualties have been reported,” the Israeli army said of the rocket launched at the city.