‘Merkava massacre’: Hezbollah destroys nearly 100 Israeli tanks—$6mn each—in weeks

Hezbollah resistance fighters destroyed at least 21 Israeli military Merkava tanks across southern Lebanon and northern occupied Palestine over 24 hours on Wednesday, in what is being described as a new “Merkava massacre.”

By Thursday morning, the group reported achieving direct hits on at least 20 more Merkava tanks, bringing the total number of Merkava tanks taken out since March 2 to at least 73.

On Thursday, dozens more Merkava tanks were successfully targeted and destroyed by Hezbollah fighters, taking the total number close to 100, as per informed sources.

As per details released by the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, the latest round of strikes on Thursday targeted Merkava tanks across multiple locations.

In Debel, three tanks were struck with guided missiles. In Al-Qantara, strikes hit Merkava tanks near the technical school, the vocational school, the reservoir, and the water tank, while three more were struck using attack drones.

In Taybeh, nearly a dozen Merkava tanks were hit with guided missiles. In Deir Siryan, four tanks were struck near the pond, and another was hit on the Taybeh-Al-Qantara road.
At the time of filing this report, the attacks were underway at multiple locations.

Many military pundits have described it as “Merkava massacre,” a term that traces back to a similar operation during the 2006 war, when a small squad of Hezbollah fighters, reportedly just three men, destroyed at least 25 Merkava tanks and killed 34 Israeli occupation soldiers before they were forced to retreat from the area.

Military analysts also point to the stark economic disparity between the two sides’ arsenals.

The guided missiles Hezbollah deployed to target these tanks cost a few thousand dollars each, a mere fraction of the cost of the Merkava tanks. Each Merkava takes up to two years to produce and carries a price tag of approximately $6 million, according to reports.

The Lebanese resistance group’s latest operation, which started earlier this month, came after more than a year of strategic patience during which the Israeli occupation continues to attack villages and towns in southern Lebanon in blatant breach of the ceasefire.

On Wednesday, the Lebanese movement carried out a record 87 operations against the Israeli military sites in the occupied territories, using both missiles and drones.