Egypt Daily News – An Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon killed a woman and injured 20 others on Friday, in a series of attacks that Israel said targeted Hezbollah military sites amid what it described as attempts to rebuild them. The escalation prompted official condemnation from Lebanese authorities.
Despite a ceasefire in effect since November, Israel continues to carry out air raids across Lebanon, particularly in the south, often resulting in casualties. Israel insists it will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its military and leadership infrastructure after suffering significant losses in recent conflict.
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, an Israeli drone struck an apartment in a residential building in the city of Nabatieh, killing a woman and injuring 13 others. The latest figures were confirmed by the Ministry of Health, cited by Agence France-Presse.
Shortly before that, Israeli warplanes launched a series of airstrikes on nearby wooded areas, using “bunker-buster” bombs that caused massive explosions, according to the same source. Seven more civilians were injured in these strikes, according to the Ministry of Health.
The Israeli army stated that it had targeted a site in the Shaqif area that was “used to manage Hezbollah’s fire and defense systems” and was “part of an underground project previously disabled in earlier airstrikes.”
It added: “The army observed attempts to rebuild the site, which led to the attack on the terrorist infrastructure in the area,” warning that “the presence of this site and attempts to reconstruct it are a blatant violation of understandings between Israel and Lebanon.” The statement further emphasized that Israel “will not tolerate Hezbollah’s use of the location.”
Lebanese officials strongly condemned the Israeli strikes. President Joseph Aoun said in a statement that “Israel continues to disregard regional and international calls to stop the violence and escalation, which requires decisive international action to put an end to these attacks.”
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described the Israeli actions as “a blatant violation of national sovereignty and the terms of the ceasefire agreement,” warning they pose “a threat to the stability we are keen to preserve.”
On Thursday, an Israeli drone targeted a motorcycle in the vicinity of the town of Beit Lif in southern Lebanon, killing a Hezbollah member on the spot, according to local media.
Another drone strike hit a small bulldozer between the towns of Braachit and Shaqra, an area previously used to launch rockets at Israel. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that one person was seriously injured in the incident.
Also Thursday morning, an Israeli military vehicle patrol entered the border village of Houla, where eyewitnesses reported that Israeli forces planted landmines in a house belonging to a Hezbollah member and later detonated it.
Israel continues to carry out strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as in Beirut’s southern suburbs, despite the ceasefire that came into effect on November 27. Israeli forces also remain stationed at five positions in southern Lebanon.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Interior, since the ceasefire began, at least 190 people have been killed and 485 others injured in Israeli airstrikes and shelling. Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry has submitted a request to the United Nations to extend the mandate of the international peacekeeping force (UNIFIL) in the south, with a vote expected in August.
President Aoun, in a meeting with a senior British military delegation on Wednesday, stressed the importance of extending UNIFIL’s mission, calling it “a cornerstone for maintaining stability and security on the southern border.” He also noted that where the Lebanese army is deployed south of the Litani River, it has enforced the state’s monopoly on arms and eliminated all visible armed presence.
