Israeli army announces encirclement of Bint Jbeil, claims over 100 Hezbollah fighters killed

The Israeli army announced on Monday that it has completed the encirclement of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon and launched an assault, stating that over 100 Hezbollah fighters were eliminated through close-quarters combat and air strikes. Colonel Avichay Adraee, an Arabic-language spokesperson for the army, stated on X that dozens of infrastructures were destroyed and hundreds of combat assets were discovered in the area. This marks a significant advance in the Israeli ground offensive in southern Lebanon, which began on March 2 as part of a new war against the Lebanese Islamist movement. Hezbollah reportedly entered the Middle East conflict to avenge the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 during the initial Israeli-American offensive against Iran. Israel responded with extensive and deadly air strikes across Lebanon and the ground offensive in the country's south. The Shiite movement has reported intense clashes with the Israeli army in Bint Jbeil for several days. The city, located about five kilometers from the border, holds symbolic importance as Hezbollah repelled Israeli troops there after a fierce battle during the 2006 war between the two parties. Since Thursday, Hezbollah has repeatedly announced targeting Israeli forces and tanks. The official Lebanese National News Agency reported "violent clashes" in the city and indicated that Israeli shelling targeted the entrance of the locality on Monday.