BEIRUT — Dozens of people were killed in an intensive wave of Israeli strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon on Tuesday, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to step up military action against Hezbollah.
At least 31 people, including several children, were killed and 40 others injured in the latest attacks.
According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health, the strikes on Tuesday targeted several towns and villages amid escalating cross-border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lebanese health officials said the deadliest strike hit the Burj El Shemali area near the southern city of Tyre, where 14 people lost their lives, and 16 others were wounded.
In Kouthariyeh El Siyad, five people were killed and six injured. Four persons died and 10 others were hurt in Haboush. Six people were killed in Maarakah, while two others lost their lives in Sel’aa.
There has been no immediate official response from the Israeli military on the individual strikes. However, Israel has consistently maintained that its operations in southern Lebanon are aimed at Hezbollah positions and infrastructure.
The Israeli military said it hit more than 100 Hezbollah infrastructure sites and fighters in what was one of the heaviest nights of bombardment since a US-brokered ceasefire began in mid-April.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah has continued launching attacks into northern Israel, heightening fears of a wider regional conflict.
Early on Wednesday, sirens sounded in northern Israel early on after a projectile was launched from Lebanon into Israel, the Israeli military said in a statement.
It added the projectile fell into an open area and no injuries were reported.
Speaking at a security cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Netanyahu said Israel was “deepening our operation in Lebanon”.
“The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] is operating with large forces on the ground and seizing dominant terrain,” he said, adding that they were “fortifying the security zone” to protect communities in northern Israel from Hezbollah attacks.
The announcement prompted scenes of panic in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, where residents were seen fleeing the area following the remarks. Thousands of cars lined the streets with families trying to escape for safety.
The latest escalation comes despite a ceasefire arrangement brokered by the United States on April 16 to halt fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
The initial 10-day truce was extended in late April, followed by another 45-day extension agreed upon by Israel and Lebanon on May 15 to allow more time for negotiations. However, continued exchanges of fire and repeated air strikes during the truce period have raised concerns that the fragile ceasefire could collapse into a broader regional conflict.
Source: Saudi Gazette