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Israel and Hezbollah Claim Battlefield Wins
Israel’s army and Hezbollah’s militant leaders are both claiming success on the battlefield after the sides entered into a ceasefire Wednesday.
Israel said it degraded Hezbollah’s capabilities and decapitated its senior leadership, while the Lebanese militant group said it put up a stiff defense to Israel’s ground invasion “in support of the steadfast Palestinian people.”
Iran-backed Hezbollah claimed “victory” over Israeli forces and said its fighters were “fully prepared” to counter any future Israeli actions.
“Their hands will remain on the trigger, in defense of Lebanon’s sovereignty,” the statement from Hezbollah’s operations center said Wednesday, its first public comments since the ceasefire took effect.
Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the army had weakened Hezbollah’s ability to launch rockets and drones into Israel, and targeted its ability to resupply and manufacture weapons.
“We are also preparing for the possibility of returning to intense combat,” Hagari said in a video statement Wednesday. He said that throughout the nearly 14 months of fighting, Israel struck 12,500 targets across Lebanon, including around 360 targets in Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiyeh.
It was not possible to independently confirm battlefield claims by either side. The ceasefire agreement gives Israel and Hezbollah militants 60 days to withdraw from areas of southern Lebanon near the border.
