Hezbollah Launches First Drone Attack on Mount Hermon

Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group, conducted its first drone attack on Mount Hermon, a key surveillance point in the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights. This marks an escalation in its conflict with Israel, which has been intensifying since the Gaza war began. The attack challenges the longstanding border conflict rules.

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group said on Sunday it launched a drone attack on Mount Hermon in the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights, targeting a key Israeli surveillance center.

This marks Hezbollah's first drone bombing since it began exchanging fire with Israel on Oct. 8, following Hamas' attack on southern Israel, which ignited the Gaza war. Hezbollah declares its operations will only cease when the war ends.

Despite previously targeting other areas in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, Hezbollah's latest action struck a military objective at the highest point in the Israeli-controlled territory. The strategic Mount Hermon has significant surveillance, espionage, and air defense facilities that monitor Syria, Iraq, Jordan, and parts of Saudi Arabia since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.

The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has been escalating for months, raising fears of a full-scale war, which both parties and international diplomats are striving to prevent. Hezbollah has intensified its operations, deploying more explosive drones, utilizing new rockets, and claiming to have targeted Israeli warplanes for the first time, sources indicate.

This escalation is testing unwritten rules that have confined the conflict to border regions, away from Lebanese and Israeli cities. Israel blames Hezbollah for the surge in violence and has reiterated its commitment to restoring border security. The Israel Defence Forces have yet to comment on the latest strike.

(With inputs from agencies.)