A series of Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, as well as a barrage of rockets fired by Hezbollah, resulted in the deaths of 16 people in Lebanon and one Israeli man on Wednesday. This day marked the deadliest in over five months of fighting along the border between Israel and Lebanon. Tensions have been escalating since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, leading to concerns about further violence along the Israel-Lebanon frontier. Thousands of people on both sides have been displaced due to the ongoing conflict.
The Israeli strikes targeted the Islamic Group, a Lebanese Sunni political and militant organization that has aligned itself with Hezbollah in its fight against Israel. Additionally, two Hezbollah fighters and a local commander with the Amal Movement, another Shiite group, were killed in the airstrikes. The initial strike hit a paramedic center affiliated with the Islamic Group in the village of Hebbariye, killing seven of its members. Israel claimed that it targeted an Islamic Group member involved in attacks against Israel, as well as several other militants.
Hezbollah retaliated by firing rockets into the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona and a military base, claiming responsibility for the attack. The militant group stated that it was responding to the deadly airstrike on the paramedic center. An Israeli man was killed in Kiryat Shmona when a rocket hit an industrial park, causing a fire. Around 30 rockets were launched from Lebanon towards northern Israel, according to the Israeli military. The ongoing violence has caused significant damage and loss of life on both sides of the conflict.
In response to the airstrikes, various paramedic groups and organizations in Lebanon reported casualties from the bombings. The Islamic Health Society and the Islamic Risala Scout Association, both paramedic groups, reported members killed in the strikes on Teir Harfa and Naqoura. Additionally, the Amal movement of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri confirmed the death of one of its local commanders in the attack on Naquora. Hezbollah also reported the deaths of two of its fighters, without specifying where they were struck. The violence has been ongoing in the border region, with international mediators working to prevent a full-scale war.
The conflict between Israel and Lebanon has been ongoing since Hezbollah began launching rockets towards Israel in October, following an attack by Hamas-led militants in southern Israel. The fighting has resulted in the deaths of civilians, soldiers, and fighters on both sides. In Lebanon, nearly 240 Hezbollah fighters and around 40 civilians have died, while in Israel, nine civilians and 11 soldiers have been killed. The near-daily violence has caused significant destruction and loss of life, with international efforts focused on de-escalating the situation and preventing further bloodshed.
