On 8 October 2023, Lebanese militant group Hezbollah launched guided rockets and artillery shells at Israeli-occupied positions in Shebaa Farms during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war. Israel retaliated with drone strikes and artillery fire on Hezbollah positions near the Golan Heights–Lebanon border. The attacks came after Hezbollah expressed support and praise for the Hamas attacks on Israel. The clashes have been the largest escalation between the two countries since the 2006 Lebanon War.
Events
8 October
In the morning, Hezbollah fired rockets and shells at the Shebaa Farms region; in response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fired artillery shells and a drone into southern Lebanon. Two Lebanese children were reportedly injured by broken glass.
9 October
Israel exchanged a series of airstrikes on Southern Lebanon near the towns of Marwahin, Ayta ash Shab and Dhayra in the Bint Jbeil district. This was after numerous Palestinian militants infiltrated the Israeli border. The IDF killed at least two perpetrators (likely Palestinians), while a third returned to Lebanon. A Hezbollah media source announced that one of their members died in the IDF retaliation. Hezbollah denied involvement in the incident, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militia claimed responsibility for the armed infiltration. Hezbollah later announced the death of two other militants at night. Hezbollah fired rockets and artillery in retaliation. During the clashes, two Israeli soldiers and Lt. Col Alim Abdallah Deputy Commander of Israel's 300th Brigade, died by wounds inflicted by enemy fire on the border, other three wounded
10 October
Hezbollah and the IDF exchanged fire, with Hezbollah firing a salvo of rockets into Israel and an attack on the security forces brought out by the Palestinian factions. Hezbollah fired an anti-tank guided missile at an Israeli military vehicle in the Avivim area, prompting a retaliatory Israeli helicopter strike.
11 October
Hezbollah fired anti-tank missiles at an Israeli military position and claimed to have produced casualties. In response, the IDF shelled the area where the attack was launched. The Lebanese-Italian hospital in Tyre admitted three injured civilians. The IDF ordered residents of northern Israel to seek shelter following reports of drones being launched from southern Lebanon. A Patriot missile was launched to intercept a suspicious projectile, after which the IDF found that the object in question was not a drone. Warning sirens were activated across northern Israel after reports emerged that up to 20 infiltrators on paragliders had entered Israeli territory from Lebanon, before the IDF dismissed the report as a false alarm.
12 October
The Israeli Defence Ministry announced that one soldier was killed and another injured by an anti-tank missile fired by Hezbollah.
13 October
Hezbollah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said that 'when time comes for any action, we will carry it out' stating that Hezbollah was ready and 'would "contribute" to confrontations against Israel according to its own plan'. The IDF fired artillery into southern Lebanon following an explosion that caused minor damage to a section of the Israel–Lebanon border wall near the kibbutz of Hanita. Lebanese Reuters video journalist, Issam Abdallah, was killed, while at least six other journalists from Reuters, AFP and Al Jazeera were injured. The Lebanese Army said that two others were injured during the strike.
14 October
The IDF released footage of a drone attack which, according to them, killed three infiltrators from Lebanon near Margaliot who were members of Hamas. One of them was acknowledged by Hezbollah as one of their members. In the afternoon, Hezbollah fired 50 mortar shells and 6 anti-tank missiles towards five Israeli outposts in the Shebaa Farms. Further IDF shelling killed 2 civilians in a Shebaa village; video and photographic evidence showed usage of phosphorus bombs.
15 October
Hezbollah launched five anti-tank missiles towards northern Israel killing one civilian and injuring 3 others in Shtula. UNIFIL said that their headquarters in Naqoura in southern Lebanon was hit by rocket fire with no casualties reported. Lieutenant Amitai Granot, commander of the 75th Battalion of the IDF's Golan Brigade and son of Rabbi Tamir Granot, was killed in a missile attack on an IDF post bordering Lebanon.