Hezbollah downs Israeli drone in southern Lebanon amid escalation

Hezbollah said Thursday it shot down an Israeli army drone in southern Lebanon amid ongoing airstrikes by Tel Aviv.

The group said in a statement its fighters downed a drone of the Hermes 450 type in the city of Nabatieh using a surface-to-air missile.

It said the downing was “in response to Israeli violations of the ceasefire and incursions into Lebanese airspace.”

The Israeli army confirmed that one of its drones was shot down in southern Lebanon by a Hezbollah missile.

Since March 2, Israel has carried out attacks on Lebanon that have killed at least 2,534 people, injured 7,863 and displaced more than 1.6 million, according to official figures.

A 10-day ceasefire that began April 17 was later extended until May 17, but Israel continues daily violations through strikes and widespread demolition of homes in dozens of villages in southern Lebanon.

Israel occupies areas in southern Lebanon, some for decades and others since the previous war between 2023 and 2024, and has advanced nearly 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory during the current offensive.