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Four Israeli soldiers killed in Hezbollah strike; U.S. to send antimissile system to Israel

U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon look at the Lebanese-Israeli border from Marwahin on Saturday. (Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters)
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Four Israel Defense Forces soldiers were killed and dozens were injured Sunday after a Hezbollah drone attack hit an IDF base near the northern Israeli town of Binyamina, according to Israeli authorities. The Lebanon-based group said in a statement that it launched a “swarm” of explosives-laden attack drones on a training camp for Israel’s Golani Brigade. The Pentagon announced Sunday that it will send a THAAD antimissile system and 100 U.S. troops to Israel after Iran’s missile barrage this month.

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Middle East conflict

The Israel-Gaza war has gone on for over a year, and tensions have spilled into the surrounding Middle East region.

The war: On Oct. 7, Hamas militants launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking civilian hostages. See photos and videos of how the deadly assault unfolded. Israel declared war on Hamas in response, launching a ground invasion that fueled the biggest displacement in the region since Israel’s creation in 1948. In July 2024, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an attack Hamas has blamed on Israel.

Hezbollah: Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, a militant organization backed by Iran, have escalated over the past year, leading to an Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon. Israel’s airstrikes into Lebanon have grown more intense and deadly, killing over 1,400 people including Hasan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s longtime leader. The Israel-Lebanon border has a history of violence that dates back to Israel’s founding.

Gaza crisis: In the Gaza Strip, Israel has waged one of this century’s most destructive wars, killing tens of thousands and plunging at least half of the population into “famine-like conditions.” For months, Israel has resisted pressure from Western allies to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave.

U.S. involvement: Despite tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some U.S. politicians, including President Biden, the United States supports Israel with weapons, funds aid packages, and has vetoed or abstained from the United Nations’ cease-fire resolutions.

History: The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Read more on the history of the Gaza Strip.