Tel Aviv [Israel], August 2 (ANI): The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it had air-dropped humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip on Friday, in coordination with several countries, The Jerusalem Post reported.

'Over the past few hours, 126 aid packages, containing food for the residents of both the southern and northern Gaza Strip, were airdropped by six different countries,' the IDF said in a statement cited by the outlet.

The operation was conducted with the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Spain, France, and Germany. This marked the first such joint operation with the three European nations.

Amid rising international criticism over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir strongly denied allegations of deliberate starvation.

'The false campaign about starvation these days is a deliberate, coordinated, and deceitful attempt aimed at accusing the IDF--a moral army--of war crimes,' Zamir said, as quoted by The Jerusalem Post. 'The party responsible for the killing and suffering of Gaza's residents is Hamas. IDF soldiers and commanders act with morality and integrity, in accordance with the IDF's spirit and international law.'

Commenting on the status of hostage negotiations, Zamir said the military would press on with operations regardless of any partial deal.

'I estimate that in the coming days we will know whether we can reach a partial deal for the release of our hostages,' he told commanders. 'If not, the fighting will continue without pause,' The Jerusalem Post reported.

Meanwhile, the IDF confirmed it would continue targeted strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, despite the November 2024 ceasefire, with an aim to fully disarm the group--even at the risk of renewed conflict.

According to the IDF, Hezbollah's military capabilities have been significantly degraded. The group, which once possessed around 150,000 rockets and tens of thousands of launchers, now reportedly retains only a couple of thousand launchers and has seen a 70-80 per cent reduction in its overall rocket arsenal, The Jerusalem Post said.

This has resulted in a dramatic drop in Hezbollah's firing capacity--from potentially launching 1,500 rockets at once to just a few dozen now. 'Hezbollah also has lost virtually all of its multiple rocket launching platforms,' IDF officials said.

The group's operational flexibility has also been restricted, with attacks now relying on individual launchers, which are more exposed and vulnerable. Though Hezbollah retains a few long-range precision rockets, IDF control over key launching zones--many of which have been targeted--have made their deployment difficult.

Smuggling routes through Syria have also been disrupted. The Jerusalem Post reported that the new Sunni regime in Syria is actively blocking most of Iran's weapon transfers to Hezbollah, which the IDF says has dealt the group a significant blow.

To monitor and counter threats, the IDF has carried out up to five strikes on cross-border areas between Syria and Lebanon. While the group's top leadership is currently deterred, Israeli military officials remain concerned about Iran's continued support--estimated at USD 1 billion annually--compared to USD 250 million in Western assistance to Lebanon.

Since the ceasefire, the IDF has carried out over 500 attacks on Hezbollah targets. These include the elimination of 230 operatives, destruction of 90 rocket launchers, 20 strikes on bases and outposts, 40 hits on weapons storage facilities, and three targeted operations against elite Radwan force training camps, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Cumulatively, Israeli intelligence estimates that 4,000-5,000 Hezbollah fighters have been killed and around 9,000 rendered permanently incapacitated--over half of Hezbollah's standing army of 25,000.

'Hezbollah was also said to have tens of thousands more reservist fighters, but IDF sources estimate that only 10 per cent of them are still active now,' the report said. The elite Radwan force has shrunk from 6,000 to between 2,500-3,000 fighters, now focusing largely on internal security.

The IDF maintains that Hezbollah currently poses no threat of a large-scale invasion. While small-scale attacks remain a possibility, the military says the risk of a massive coordinated incursion has been neutralised for the foreseeable future.

Praising U.S. efforts to manage ceasefire violations, the IDF said the current dispute resolution process has been more effective than previous UNIFIL-led attempts. Of the 1,263 violations submitted by the IDF, 456 were handled internally and 666 forwarded to the Lebanese army, which resolved 82 per cent of them.

The Jerusalem Post added that while U.S. support has helped curb Hezbollah's activities, the IDF continues to act unilaterally when necessary, especially in complex violations. (ANI)