Israel hits southern Lebanon; drone flies over Beirut
Shafaq News- Beirut
Israeli airstrikes, drone attacks and shelling hit a string of towns across southern Lebanon on Thursday, while drones continued flying over the capital, Beirut.
According to the state-run National News Agency, airstrikes targeted the Marjayoun plain near a treatment plant, al-Qantara, al-Mansouri, and Nabatieh al-Fawqa. A drone dropped explosive canisters on homes in Bani Hayyan. Heavy shelling also struck Zawtar al-Sharqiya, Mayfadoun, Kfar Tebnit, the Mazraat Beyout al-Siyad area, Wadi Zebqin and the outskirts of al-Habbariyeh.
No casualty figures were immediately available.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned earlier that any rocket or drone fire at Israel would prompt strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah. Israel could also seize more territory toward Nabatieh and the Litani River if Hezbollah joined an Iranian attack on Israel, Katz said, adding that residents of any newly seized areas would be evacuated, and the territory would become a permanent part of what Israel calls its security zone.
Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed across the country, according to Katz, who said Israeli forces had demolished more than 60 villages and 23,000 homes in a zone of about 700 square kilometers and displaced some 200,000 residents.
Israeli attacks have killed 4,389 people and wounded 12,424 in Lebanon since March 2, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry, bringing the overall toll since October 2023 to 8,956 killed and 30,660 wounded as of October 12.
The strikes continue despite a US-sponsored framework agreement signed by Lebanon and Israel in June. Lebanese officials, including President Joseph Aoun, PM Nawaf Salam, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, repeatedly said that Israel was violating the deal by continuing operations in southern villages.
