Beirut: Hezbollah announced early Thursday that it engaged in clashes with Israeli forces, utilizing light and medium weapons as well as rocket-propelled projectiles on the road to the town of Qantara in southern Lebanon. The group reported targeting an Israeli Merkava tank with a guided missile and claimed a confirmed hit. The Israeli army has not yet commented on this statement.

According to Anadolu Agency, earlier on Thursday, warning sirens were activated across the greater Tel Aviv area in central Israel following rockets launched from Lebanon. Hezbollah stated that it had targeted Israeli military sites in Tel Aviv with 'precision missiles,' specifically aiming at the Kirya complex, which houses Israel's Defense Ministry, and the Dolphin barracks belonging to the Military Intelligence Directorate in central Israel.

Israel has responded with airstrikes and initiated a ground offensive in southern Lebanon following a cross-border attack by Hezbollah on March 2. Lebanese authorities report that at least 1,094 people have been killed and 3,119 injured in Israeli attacks since the escalation began.

The recent surge in hostilities coincides with a joint US-Israeli offensive on Iran, which has resulted in more than 1,340 deaths since February 28. In retaliation, Iran has launched drone and missile strikes targeting not only Israel but also Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, citing these actions as attacks on US military assets.