Israeli soldier killed in major Israel-Hezbollah clash

JERUSALEM, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) — An Israeli Navy soldier was killed during cross-border airstrikes between Israel and Hezbollah on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
The IDF identified the soldier as David Moshe Ben Shitrit, 21, from Geva Binyamin in the occupied West Bank, adding that he was killed “during combat in northern Israel.”
According to Israel’s state-owned Kan TV, he was injured by an Israeli interceptor missile that struck the Dvora patrol boat where he was stationed. The soldier then succumbed to his injuries. This occurred as Israel’s aerial defense systems attempted to intercept a Hezbollah attack involving about 320 rockets.
The IDF reported that approximately 100 Israeli warplanes targeted dozens of sites in southern Lebanon, hitting hundreds of rocket launchers aimed at Israel.
The operation was described as a “preemptive attack” in response to Hezbollah’s rocket and drone assault following the assassination of a senior leader in July. The IDF claimed its defense systems intercepted most of the incoming rockets and drones.
Lebanese sources reported four militants killed and six others wounded in southern Lebanon due to Israeli raids. ■