The Israeli army has used a medieval weapon to start fires in southern Lebanon, in an apparent attempt to expose Hezbollah militants hiding near the border.
Citing videos found on social media, The Times of Israel reported that Israeli soldiers used a trebuchet, an advanced catapult used in the Middle Ages, to launch incendiary devices at areas on the other side of the border with forests and dense vegetation.
The Israeli army uses the fires to find Hezbollah before they carry out operations against Israel, the Times of Israel said.
A spokesman for the Israeli army confirmed the use of the footage but said that it was a "local initiative and not a tool that has come into widespread use.”
Footage circulating on social media shows Israeli soldiers using a trebuchet to launch incendiaries at Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/PYMyCZcOWM
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian)
Fighting broke out between Israel and Hezbollah on October 8 last year, one day after Hamas launched a major attack on Israel and Israel’s war on Gaza began.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah launched more than 200 rockets at northern Israel after Israel killed a senior commander from the group the previous evening.
Eight months of fighting between the group and Israeli forces has killed at least 467 people in Lebanon, most of them fighters but also including almost 90 civilians, according to an AFP tally.
Israel says at least 15 Israeli soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed.
US officials are currently “scrambling” to prevent an all-out war between Israel and Heabollah, the US news website Axios reported on Wednesday.
According to Axios, President Biden’s administration has warned Israel against “a limited war” in Lebanon, saying that if this happens, pro-Iran militants could come from across the Middle East to fight with Hezbollah.
