Two killed in Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah's objectives in eastern Lebanon

At least two members of Hezbollah were killed on Monday in Israeli strikes in eastern Lebanon, the first such attacks since the escalation began across the borders. 

Israel stated that it targeted an air defense system affiliated with the party in response to the downing of one of its drones earlier in the day.

According to a Lebanese security source cited by Agence France-Presse, at least two strikes targeted a building and warehouse belonging to Hezbollah in the vicinity of the city of Baalbek, which is considered the main stronghold of Hezbollah in the eastern Bekaa region.

The bombardment resulted in the "killing of two Hezbollah members," according to a second security source, as reported by AFP.

In a later statement, the Israeli army announced that its fighter jets targeted "sites used by Hezbollah's air defense system" in response to the launch of a surface-to-air missile towards an unmanned aerial vehicle of the Hermes 450 type, which crashed earlier on Monday.

Earlier on Monday, Hezbollah announced that its fighters had downed a "large Israeli drone of the Hermes 450 type with a surface-to-air missile over Iqlim al Tuffah" located about 20 kilometers from the border.

The Israeli strikes mark the first Israeli targeting of Hezbollah outside the southern region since the exchange of fire between the two sides during the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Hezbollah's deputy, Hassan Fadlallah, condemned what he described as Israel's "escalation" in targeting Baalbek during the funeral procession of a fighter who died in Syria. 

He stated, "This Zionist escalation will not lead us to retreat but will increase our determination and adherence to this choice," emphasizing that "their enmity towards Baalbek or any other region will not go without a response, which the resistance will choose using the appropriate method."

Israeli airstrikes have so far been limited to border areas or deep in the south, except for an attack on January 2nd that targeted an apartment in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Hezbollah's stronghold, resulting in the death of the Hamas Deputy Chief of the Political Bureau, Saleh al-Arouri, along with six of his companions.

AFP