commando

The Israeli military gave limited details on the operation but said the unit involved was Shayetet 13, a marine commando unit specialising in sea-to-land incursions.

The father of seven, believed to have been hit by shrapnel, was among more than 70 people killed during an Israeli commando operation to rescue two hostages held by Hamas in Rafah.

Hezbollah said on Thursday evening that its fighters had “repelled failed attempts” by Israeli commandos to advance into some border villages during the day.

Hezbollah said its fighters had fired ani-tank missiles at Israeli commandos, killing and wounding dozens during clashes early on Wednesday in one border village.

The New York Times earlier reported that Israeli commando units had already made brief incursions into Lebanese territory to prepare for a possible wider invasion.