Israeli troops catapult fireball into Lebanon with weapon rarely used since 16th century

Israeli troops have used a medieval-style catapult to launch fireballs across the border into Lebanon, as fighting intensifies between Israel and the Iran-backed Islamist group Hezbollah.

The trebuchet, a rotating arm to which a sling is attached to launch a projectile, has been rarely used since the 16th century.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the catapult was “a local initiative” and had not “been widely used,” Israeli public broadcaster Kan, a CNN affiliate, reported Thursday.

Kan said the trebuchet was likely used to burn shrubs, making it easier for Israeli forces to identify militants trying to reach the border. CNN has requested comment from the Israeli military.

A video of the catapult in action was posted on social media on Wednesday. CNN could not verify when the footage was filmed but geolocated it to the Israeli-Lebanese border.

Although catapults were used by Ukrainian protesters during the Euromaidan protests in 2014 and by Syrian rebels in 2013, the weapon is a relic of bygone military eras.

One of the last recorded uses of a trebuchet in warfare was by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés against the Aztecs during the assault on Tenochtitlán, Mexico, in 1521, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

The use of trebuchets and other catapults began to decline after the invention of modern gunpowder artillery in the 15th century.

The video comes after cross-border attacks from Lebanon sparked massive fires in northern Israel last week, consuming swathes of territory and prompting the evacuation of residents.

Cross-border attacks have increased this month, but fighting has been low in intensity since Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, when militants killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped 200 others, according to Israeli officials. .

This prompted Israel to go to war against Hamas in Gaza, during which it razed much of the Strip and killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza officials.

Hezbollah has said its current fighting with Israel is aimed at supporting Palestinians in Gaza. Its military capability is believed to be far superior to that of Hamas and has grown since 2006, when it relied largely on inaccurate Soviet-era Katyusha rockets.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah says his group has more than 100,000 fighters and reservists. The group also reportedly possesses 150,000 rockets, which could overwhelm Israeli defenses if all-out war breaks out.

More than 53,000 Israelis have been evacuated from the north since hostilities began in October, the Israeli military told CNN. In Lebanon, more than 94,000 people have been displaced from the border area, according to the country's health ministry.

Source: CNN

–Agencies