Israel strikes four southern towns after evacuation warnings
The Israeli army launched strikes on four south Lebanon towns on Wednesday, claiming it was targeting "Hezbollah infrastructure" after warning civilians of the impending raids.
The strikes came a day after 13 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in south Lebanon -- the worst raid since a ceasefire took effect last year between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israel has kept up frequent strikes on Lebanon despite the November 2024 ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities including two months of open war between Israel and the Iran-backed group.
The Israeli military usually says it is targeting operatives and sites from the Iran-backed Hezbollah, which it accuses of rearming, but also occasionally its ally, the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
"The IDF (military) is currently striking several Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon," it said in a brief statement.
Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) said two raids hit the towns of Deir Kifa, Shehour, Ainata and Tayr Felsay.
In messages on X, the Israeli military had posted maps identifying buildings in the towns and urging immediate evacuation, saying it would strike Hezbollah "military infrastructure... in response to Hezbollah's prohibited attempts to rebuild its activities in the area."
Israel has accused Hezbollah of carrying out activities that breach the ceasefire, saying its frequent strikes aim to uphold it.
Lebanon, which under heavy U.S. pressure and fears of expanded Israeli raids has begun disarming Hezbollah, says Israel is violating the truce with its strikes and by maintaining troops in five areas of the country's south that it deems strategic.
Hezbollah has rejected the idea of handing over its weapons.
Earlier Wednesday, Lebanon's health ministry said one person was killed and 11 others wounded in an Israeli strike on a vehicle in south Lebanon's al-Tiri that Israel said killed a Hezbollah operative.
The NNA said the man killed worked for the local municipality and said the strike took place as a "university bus carrying 26 students" passed by, wounding some of those on board.
On Tuesday, Israel said it struck a Hamas training compound in south Lebanon's Ain al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp, while the militant group denied it had military installations in Lebanon's refugee camps and called Israel's claims "lies."
Also on Tuesday, Lebanon said two people were killed in Israeli strikes elsewhere in Lebanon, while the Israeli military later said it had killed two Hezbollah members, accusing them of rebuilding the group's military capacities and gathering intelligence on the Israeli military.
Source: Agence France Presse, Naharnet
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://prod.naharnet.com/stories/en/316627 |