Three Killed, 23 Injured in New Israeli Strikes on Lebanon
Lebanon’s Health Ministry says Israeli airstrikes hit southern and eastern areas, while Israel says the strikes came in response to a Hezbollah drone attack.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Three people were killed and 23 others injured in Israeli airstrikes on southern and eastern parts of Lebanon, according to preliminary figures released by Lebanon’s Health Ministry early Saturday, as tensions continued despite an existing agreement between the two sides.
The Israeli army said its strikes followed a Hezbollah drone attack directed at Israeli forces operating in areas of southern Lebanon.
According to news reports, Israeli warplanes carried out a series of intense strikes on several areas of southern Lebanon on Friday evening.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that one of the strikes targeted a house in the town of Ramadiyeh in the Tyre district, causing several injuries.
The agency also reported that Israeli warplanes struck the vicinity of Debsheh hill in the Upper Nabatieh area and the Ruwaisan neighborhood on the outskirts of Nabatieh in two separate waves.
In another incident, the Israeli army carried out a large explosion inside the eastern town of Zautar. Rescue and ambulance teams arrived at the affected sites to transport casualties.
The Israeli army had earlier said that Hezbollah directed the drone toward its soldiers operating in what it described as a “security zone” in southern Lebanon.
The army described the drone launch as a “clear violation of the understandings,” saying its soldiers opened fire directly at the drone and brought it down without recording casualties among its ranks.
Israel said its airstrikes on southern Lebanon were carried out in response to the Hezbollah drone attempt.
Despite an agreement between the two sides, Israel continues to control parts of southern Lebanon and has continued airstrikes and demolition operations against locations it says are Hezbollah military positions.