The IDF says it raided a hospital in the southern Lebanon town of Bint Jbeil where armed Hezbollah operatives had been holed up, killing some 20 gunmen and seizing weapons in the process.
Last week, troops of the Givati Brigade first identified Hezbollah military activity at the Bint Jbeil Governmental Hospital. The IDF says that in recent days, it identified several terror operatives who had been carrying out surveillance from within the hospital, and who then opened fire on the Israeli troops.
"Within a short time, the troops eliminated the terrorists. In addition, approximately 20 terrorists were targeted and eliminated in the hospital area to remove an immediate threat," the IDF says.
The military says the soldiers then raided the medical center, where they located a cache of weapons belonging to Hezbollah.
"The Hezbollah terror organization systematically and continuously used the hospital compound and its immediate surroundings for the military purposes of the terror organization, in severe violation of international law," the IDF says.
The IDF has previously warned that Hezbollah has been making use of medical facilities and ambulances for military purposes.
"Prior to the operation, the IDF clarified to the relevant authorities in Lebanon that all military activities in hospitals in Lebanon must cease, and published these warnings through various means. Despite this, the Hezbollah terrorist organization continued to use the hospital for military activity," the IDF says.
