Hezbollah intercepts an Israeli warplane, forces it to retreat
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Hezbollah declares that the operations are in support of Palestine and its Resistance and in defense of South Lebanon against Israeli aggression.
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A screengrab from a video published by Hezbollah shows an Israeli Hermes 900 drone being monitored on June 10, 2024. (Islamic Resistance in Lebanon / Military Media)
The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah continues to carry out operations across the Lebanese-Palestinian border, in support of the steadfast people of Palestine and their brave Resistance, in defense of South Lebanon, its villages, homes, and civilians," against the continuous Israeli aggression.
In a statement, Hezbollah reported that its air defense unit intercepted an Israeli warplane violating Lebanese airspace over South Lebanon with an anti-aircraft missile in the early hours of Monday night, forcing it to retreat.
"In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in solidarity with their brave and honorable resistance, the air defense unit of the Islamic Resistance intercepted a hostile Zionist aircraft that violated Lebanese airspace at midnight on Monday, 11 June 2024. An anti-aircraft missile was fired at the enemy aircraft, forcing it to retreat towards occupied Palestine, immediately retreating from Lebanese airspace," the statement read.
The Resistance also announced that its fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli occupation forces near the Netiv Ha'avot settlement with appropriate weapons, inflicting direct hits and causing casualties, including both fatalities and injuries.
Hezbollah's drones reach Haifa
Israeli media reported the launch of a drone from Lebanon towards the shores of Haifa, describing the incident as "unprecedented."
A correspondent for Israeli Channel 12 confirmed that this is the first time since the beginning of the war that Hezbollah has deployed a drone towards Haifa.
On the same channel, a presenter questioned, "What is Hezbollah's objective in sending a drone to Haifa?" and added, "It appears that Hezbollah has rapidly escalated its scale of operations."
Israeli media also noted that Hezbollah is extending the scope and range of its launches to target Haifa and Hakryot.
Additionally, Israeli media discussed a state of alert along the northern borders to intercept missiles, expressing "concern over heavy missile strikes on Meron, Safad, the Golan Heights, and a potential escalation of hostilities."
It was also highlighted that "Hezbollah has turned Akka and Nahariya into a frontline last week."
Hezbollah conducts 12 operations in one day
Hezbollah launched 12 operations against Israeli occupation army sites and deployments, seven of them in the eastern sector, and five within the western sector on Monday.
What's significant about Monday's operations is that the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, Hezbollah, downed an Israeli Hermes 900 multirole drone as it was preparing to launch an aggression on Lebanon.
Hezbollah's air defenses intercepted and downed the highly-prized Israeli drone in an ambush and later published footage of the operation.
So far, the Resistance has claimed responsibility for downing three Hermes 900 drones.
Hezbollah's effective use of air defense capabilities has struck fear in "Israel", as the occupation's air superiority has been put into question as a result of the operations.
The Israeli Air Force's air superiority has long been touted as a critical advantage for the Israeli occupation forces over their adversaries. However, recent developments in Lebanon have challenged this narrative. The downing of an Israeli drone and multiple incidents where warplanes have been forced to retreat due to interception attempts signifies a notable shift. Hezbollah's successful use of air defense capabilities has eroded "Israel's air dominance", further undermining the occupation's military presence in the region.
