Beirut, Lebanon – An Israeli air strike on southern Lebanon has killed one particular person and wounded one other, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Well being says, as Israel ramps up its cross-border assaults in defiance of a ceasefire.
The ministry mentioned in a press release on Wednesday that an “Israeli enemy raid” struck a automobile within the city of Burj Rahal within the southern district of Tyre.
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“The assault resulted within the martyrdom of 1 citizen and the harm of one other,” the assertion learn, with out figuring out the useless.
Lebanon’s Nationwide Information Company mentioned the assault occurred close to a faculty, triggering panic amongst college students and prompting mother and father to hurry to gather their kids amid scenes of worry and chaos.
Ceasefire underneath pressure
The Israeli navy didn’t instantly touch upon the strike, which was the most recent in a series of its attacks throughout southern Lebanon, regardless of a ceasefire signed on November 27, 2024.
Israeli forces stay deployed in at the least 5 areas of Lebanon’s south as they perform near-daily air raids that Israel says goal Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure.
On Monday, two individuals had been killed and 7 wounded in separate attacks in southern Lebanon. A day earlier, Israeli raids in Nabatieh killed 4 individuals, in accordance with Lebanon’s Well being Ministry.
Inside Lebanon, the continued bombardment has heightened fears of a renewed warfare, as Israeli and United States officers press the Lebanese authorities to pressure Hezbollah to disarm.
Israeli navy intelligence has claimed in latest days that Hezbollah is trying to rebuild its navy capabilities. A Hezbollah spokesperson denied stories of expanded navy exercise or makes an attempt to revive its elite items.
“Israel fabricates tales and claims to justify its assaults,” the spokesperson instructed Lebanon’s L’Orient Right this moment newspaper on Monday.
Hezbollah was severely weakened after the Israeli escalation in September 2024, which killed its longtime chief, Hassan Nasrallah. Because the November ceasefire, the group has responded to Israeli assaults solely as soon as.
Hezbollah officers have repeatedly mentioned the group is not going to disarm, saying that relinquishing its weapons would go away southern Lebanon uncovered to an Israeli invasion.
Baalbek nonetheless underneath hearth
Practically a yr after Israel’s wide-scale bombing marketing campaign throughout Lebanon, residents within the japanese Bekaa Valley say they’re nonetheless residing underneath persistent Israeli threats.
In Baalbek, a metropolis recognized for its Roman ruins and thought of a part of Hezbollah’s heartland, Israeli strikes proceed to focus on what the Israeli navy describes as Hezbollah’s “logistical and operational base”.
However many civilians additionally stay underneath fixed bombardment.
“What is going on now isn’t wanting a warfare. It’s a warfare,” Abu Ali, a resident of Baalbek, instructed Al Jazeera. “There’s a lot speak about focusing on Baalbek, and that is scaring individuals away,” added one other resident, Ali Chokair.
A lot of the Bekaa area stays scarred by final yr’s Israeli strikes, leaving one in every of Lebanon’s poorest areas struggling to rebuild.
Lebanon underneath stress to barter
Israeli and US officers are urgent for Hezbollah’s disarmament, with US ambassador Tom Barrack urging the armed group to start a dialogue with Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Sunday that the military would “act as vital” if Lebanon failed to make sure Hezbollah handed over its weapons.
“We anticipate the Lebanese authorities to fulfil its dedication – to disarm Hezbollah – however it’s clear we’ll train our proper of self-defence underneath the phrases of the ceasefire,” he mentioned.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has mentioned the nation has “no selection however to barter” with Israel to avoid a wider conflict. However many in Baalbek and southern Lebanon oppose any talks that would result in Hezbollah’s disarmament,
Hussein Osman, who runs a restaurant in Baalbek, refused to flee when the Israeli military ordered residents to go away throughout final yr’s warfare. Like many Hezbollah supporters, he questions Lebanon’s resolution to barter with Israel, which is attacking the area nearly each day.
“We might assist any negotiation that works for the good thing about the resistance,” he mentioned. “However any negotiation that includes disarming the resistance is just not accepted … These weapons shield us and allowed us to remain in our properties.”
