Israel: Kerala man killed in missile attack from Lebanon
What's the story
An Indian man was killed, while two others were injured after an anti-tank missile from Lebanon struck an orchard close to Israel's northern border community in Margaliot on Monday, PTI reported.
The missile is believed to have been fired by the terror group Hezbollah.
All three victims—the deceased Patnibin Maxwell and the injured Bush Joseph George and Paul Melvin—are from Kerala.
George and Melvin are undergoing treatment at different hospitals.
Rescue operation underway
Missile hit plantation at 11am
According to rescue services organization Magen David Adom (MDA), the missile hit the plantation at around 11:00am on Monday.
The victims were rushed to a nearby hospital, where Maxwell was declared dead.
George, who sustained injuries to his face and body, was transported to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva.
After undergoing surgery, he is now recovering well and able to communicate with his family.
Melvin is being treated at Ziv Hospital in Safed city for minor injuries.
Prime suspect
Suspected Hezbollah involvement, Israeli response
Several reports said that the Shiite Hezbollah faction in Lebanon is suspected of orchestrating the missile attack.
Since October 8, 2023—a day after the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict began—the group has been launching drones, rockets, and missiles in northern Israel in a show of solidarity with Hamas against Israeli attacks.
Meanwhile, in retaliation, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has bombarded the launch site with artillery fire, while the Israeli Air Force targeted several Hezbollah locations in Bint Jabal, Al-Saltaniya, and Tzadikin.
Information
Hezbollah-Israel conflict
Hezbollah has shown solidarity toward the Palestinian cause since it engaged in a war in 2006 with Israel. Separately, the United States (US) has warned against any escalation, saying that it will back its Jewish ally, which might trigger a much bigger conflict in the region.
Casualities
Casualities in Israel-Hezbollah conflict
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has led to the deaths of seven civilians and 10 IDF soldiers on the Israeli side.
Hezbollah has reported that 229 of its members were killed by Israel during recent skirmishes, with the majority of casualties occurring in Lebanon and some in Syria.
Additionally, 37 operatives from other groups, a Lebanese soldier, and at least 30 civilians have lost their lives since October 8, 2023.
Hezbollah
Hezbollah: Shiite political party, terror group in Lebanon
Hezbollah is a Shiite political party and a powerful terror group in Lebanon that has gained a reputation as "a state within a state."
It was founded by Shia groups in 1982, the same year Israel invaded Lebanon.
Hezbollah was created with the assistance of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the Iranian armed forces' primary branch, on the model given by Ayatollah Khomeini after the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
Information
About ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict
The conflict between Israel and Hamas began on October 7 after the Palestinian terror organization launched cross-border attacks on the Jewish nation. Nearly 1,200 people were killed in Israel, and 240 others had been taken hostage. In response, Israel launched retaliatory strikes in Hamas-controlled Gaza.