The IDF said Sunday it had identified Hezbollah infrastructure inside a government hospital in the southern Lebanon town of Bint Jbeil, as forces continue a siege of the area.
According to the military, several Hezbollah terrorists were spotted in recent days observing troops from a hospital window and opening fire. “Within a short time, forces eliminated the terrorists,” the IDF said, adding that about 20 Hezbollah terrorists were later killed in targeted strikes in the hospital area to remove what it described as an immediate threat.
Troops later raided the hospital compound and said they discovered a cache of weapons on site.
The IDF said Hezbollah had been using the hospital compound and its immediate surroundings “systematically and continuously” for military purposes, including transferring and storing weapons and using the facility for observation, concealment and shelter.
“Hezbollah is systematically using medical facilities and ambulances for military purposes, in violation of international law and while endangering civilians,” the IDF said in a statement.
The military said it had issued prior warnings to relevant authorities in Lebanon that all military activity in hospitals must cease, and that these warnings were communicated through multiple channels.
“Despite this, Hezbollah continued to use the hospital for military activity,” the statement said, adding that the group’s actions endanger patients, medical staff and civilians.
The developments come as IDF forces continue a prolonged siege of Bint Jbeil, advancing cautiously with close air support, including fighter jets and drones operating over the area and deeper inside Lebanese territory.
According to the IDF, air force units have been targeting Hezbollah’s Badr Unit operating beyond the Litani River, which has been carrying out rocket fire toward troops and toward Israeli communities.
As ground forces advance, Hezbollah terrorists have been moving between safehouses and hiding places to avoid capture, exposing themselves to aerial surveillance and strikes. The IDF said this has enabled forces to kill dozens of Hezbollah terrorists in the Bint Jbeil sector in recent days.
Northern Command is directing the operations as forces push toward what the IDF described as Hezbollah’s remaining strongholds in the area up to the Litani River.
In incidents where ground forces encounter resistance or become pinned down, fighter jets are scrambled and provide air cover within minutes, the IDF said. It added that increased availability of air power has allowed forces to advance with what it described as a heavy and aggressive fire support envelope.