Israel was hit by an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip on October 7, with Hamas movement's troops infiltrating border areas. On October 8, the Israeli government announced that it had invoked Article 40 of the Basic Law, which means the country was officially in a state of war.

Hezbollah Downs Israeli Drone Over Southern Lebanon

09:27, 22 April 2024

BEIRUT (Sputnik) - Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging airstrikes regularly since October 2023, as the situation in the region deteriorated dramatically after Israel launched military operations in the Gaza Strip following the October 7 attack by Palestinian movement Hamas.

Sputnik

Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said it had shot down an Israeli drone over the country's south.

"Islamic resistance fighters shot down an enemy drone over the Al Aishiyeh area in southern Lebanon at 10:50 pm [19:50 GMT] on Sunday," the statement read.

Hezbollah identified the drone as a Hermes 450, which is a multi-role combat drone produced by Haifa-based Elbit Systems. It is designed for reconnaissance and surveillance missions.

Israel-Palestine Escalation

IDF Says Carried Out Strikes on Hezbollah Military Targets in Southern Lebanon

16 April, 10:10

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed that its drone had been shot down by a surface-to-air missile over Lebanon.

"IAF [Israeli air force] fighter jets struck the launch site from which the missile was fired," the IDF added in a statement on Telegram.

The Israeli military also said that it would continue to operate in Lebanese airspace to "protect the state of Israel."