The Civil Defense in southern Lebanon reported that 9 civilians were killed and dozens were injured in several Israeli airstrikes on towns in the south of the country. Additionally, Hezbollah mourned the loss of 3 fighters in the airstrikes.
The official Lebanese news agency announced that the death toll from the Israeli airstrike targeting the city of Nabatieh rose to 7. The airstrike was carried out by a drone that launched two missiles at a residential building in the slaughterhouse neighborhood in the city located in southern Lebanon. Rescue teams are working to search for possible victims under the rubble.
According to Reuters, a hospital director and three Lebanese security sources stated that 11 civilians, including 6 children, were killed in a series of Israeli strikes on villages in southern Lebanon on Wednesday.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent reported renewed Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon, with the Israeli forces launching two raids on the Labouneh area in the western sector.
Israeli warplanes conducted a series of airstrikes on the towns of Sojoud, Adshit, surrounding the town of Tayibe, and in towns in the area of ​​Tuffah. Israeli artillery also targeted the vicinity of several border towns following Hezbollah’s missile attack on military bases near the city of Safed yesterday morning.
Hashem Safieddine, the head of Hezbollah’s executive council, stated that “the Israeli aggression on southern Lebanon will not pass without a response, and this response will be at the required and appropriate level,” according to his statement.
Lebanese Threats
The Lebanese government announced on Thursday its intention to lodge an urgent complaint against Israel to the United Nations Security Council after 7 people were killed in an airstrike on an apartment in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati stated in a press release, “In light of the Israeli aggression and the loss of martyrs and the massive destruction caused by the aggression, I consulted with Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib on the situation and requested the submission of a new urgent complaint against Israel to the United Nations Security Council.”
Mikati condemned “the ongoing Israeli aggression on southern Lebanon and the new massacres it is committing against the Lebanese citizens.” He added, “While we emphasize the need for de-escalation and call on all parties to commit to avoiding escalation, we find the Israeli enemy persisting in its aggression.”
On the other hand, Hezbollah group leader and parliamentary deputy Hassan Fadlallah threatened Israel with paying the price after airstrikes on southern Lebanon the previous day resulted in the deaths of ten civilians, half of whom were children.
Safed Targeting
On the other side of the border, the Israeli occupation army stated on Thursday that its warplanes targeted dozens of Hezbollah’s sites in the Wadi al-Sulouqi area in southern Lebanon, and it added that it targeted Hezbollah’s infrastructure in the Labouneh area in southern Lebanon.
Yesterday, an Israeli female soldier was killed, and 8 soldiers, some critically wounded, following missile strikes from the Lebanese side that targeted military bases around Safed, bringing the total number of Israeli civilian and military casualties in border areas with Lebanon to 18.
The Israeli army confirmed the missile strike, stating that it attacked the source of the missile launch. Israeli media reported that the number of missiles reached 8 and that the attack is the most serious on the northern front since the outbreak of the war.
The Israeli army announced that it completed a wave of wide-scale raids on sites in Lebanon, including targets belonging to the al-Ridwan force affiliated with Hezbollah. It added that it targeted sites in Jabal al-Burj, Kafr Hunah, Kafr Dunin, Adshit, and Sojoud, including military buildings and operation rooms.
Earlier, Israeli Minister of War Benny Gantz stated that the responsible party for launching missiles from Lebanon is not only Hezbollah but also the Lebanese state that allows firing from its territories, warning that “the response will come soon and strongly.”
Israeli Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi stated that the army is “prepared for a comprehensive war if necessary to achieve calm and return the residents of the north to their homes, and create a new security reality in the region.”
Former Defense Minister and opposition leader Avigdor Lieberman stated that the Israeli War Council has surrendered to Hezbollah, and the Israeli red lines have turned into white flags, in a clear criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu and his government.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir angrily declared that what is happening from Lebanon is an actual war, and it is time to abandon the prevailing hypothesis and deal with what is happening as a real war.
Iron Dome Failure
The Israeli media reported the failure of the Iron Dome in repelling the missile attack that targeted the northern command and a military base in Safed and an airbase in Meiron yesterday.
The Israeli “Walla” website mentioned that the Israeli army is facing harsh criticism for its air defense system’s failure to repel the attack.
The Israeli army announced the closure of several main axes of roads and streets adjacent to the borders with Lebanon and imposed a movement ban on them due to the escalating tension in the region.
Amid a devastating Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli-Lebanese border has witnessed exchanges of gunfire since October 8, 2023, between the Israeli army on one side, and Hezbollah and Palestinian factions on the other, leading to casualties on both sides.
