TEHRAN- The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has announced “the transition to a new and escalating phase in the confrontation with the Israeli enemy”.

In a statement issued by Hezbollah’s Operations Room, the new military strategy is based on directives by the movement’s “leadership” and “will be reflected in the developments and events of the coming days.” 

According to the statement, Hezbollah is “inflicting heavy losses on the Israeli enemy’s army in terms of personnel and equipment, including officers and soldiers, across the confrontation lines in southern Lebanon and reaching [enemy] positions deep within occupied Palestine (Israel).” 

Touching on the ground operations at the Lebanese border, the statement pointed out that “the Israeli enemy’s army has deployed five military divisions consisting of more than 70,000 officers and soldiers, along with hundreds of tanks and military vehicles.” 

“In contrast, hundreds of Hezbollah resistance fighters have been fully prepared and ready to counter any Israeli ground incursion toward the villages of southern Lebanon.” 

Elaborating further on the ground engagements, the statement noted there has been an “escalation in the heroic [Hezbollah] confrontations” over the past week. 

Israeli forces, have advanced from several directions in the eastern and western sectors towards seven villages “backed by heavy fire cover from the air force and artillery.” 

However, Hezbollah says with “pre-prepared field plans” its fighters confronted Israeli forces by targeting their paths of advance and “luring these forces into advanced ambushes within some border villages” 

This led to intense clashes in several villages, which, according to Hezbollah, killed at least ten Israeli troops and injured 150 others, along with the destruction of 9 Merkava tanks and 4 military bulldozers. 

In addition, Hezbollah’s missile force “steadily increasing day by day,” has targeted Israeli concentrations in military sites and barracks along the Lebanese border. 

The missiles, "including precision missiles being utilized for the first time,” have also targeted “settlements and occupied cities in the north, reaching military bases deep” inside Israel. 

The statement further highlights Hezbollah’s air force, also “steadily increasing day by day” to target Israeli military bases, using various types of attack drones, including high-quality ones being used for the first time, in addition to reconnaissance and information-gathering missions. 

Hezbollah has in the past launched drones in the knowledge they would be shot down but gathered information on Israeli military defenses. 

Hezbollah’s Operations Room goes on to say its air defense unit fighters continue to confront Israeli military aircraft violating Lebanese airspace, “both reconnaissance and combat aircraft, using appropriate weapons, managing to shoot down two Israeli Hormuz 450 drones. 

According to Hezbollah’s assessments, the Israeli losses, since the start of ground operations amount to “approximately 55 fatalities and over 500 injuries among the officers and soldiers” 

This is in addition to the destruction of “20 Merkava tanks, 4 military bulldozers, an armored vehicle, and a personnel carrier”. 

Israeli forces initiated ground invasion operations in southern Lebanon on October 1. 

Furthermore, Hezbollah emphasized: “This tally does not include the Israeli enemy’s losses in the bases and military barracks along the Lebanese-Palestinian (Israeli) border and deep into occupied Palestine (Israel). 

On Friday, the Israeli military announced that five of its troops serving with the Golani Reconnaissance elite unit had been killed in Southern Lebanon. 

Among the fatalities are a company commander, a squad leader, and a platoon leader from Golani, according to what the Israeli army “permitted for publication”.

According to Hebrew media, the Israeli military has also announced at least 50 of its soldiers have been injured in southern Lebanon. 

Hezbollah says Israeli forces have so far failed to take full control of a single Lebanese village near the border. 

Experts say Hezbollah may allow the Israeli occupation forces to advance in more difficult terrain inside Lebanon where it would be easier for the Lebanese resistance to ambush them.