Beirut (EFE).- Israel bombed five towns on Thursday in southern Lebanon after ordering the evacuation of several buildings, which it claims contained infrastructure belonging to the Shia group Hezbollah.
According to the National News Agency of Lebanon (ANN), Israeli fighter jets hit a building in Tayr Debba and another in Taybeh, causing significant damage to several nearby homes. A house in Ayta al-Jabal and a fourth property in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah were also hit, with the latter being «destroyed.»
In Kfardounine, the building ordered by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) army to be evacuated was the target of «more than one» bombing, according to state media.
The Emergency Operations Center at the Ministry of Public Health confirmed that one person was injured in Tayr Debba, although no casualties have been reported in the other attacked areas so far.
The bombings began minutes after Israel ordered the evacuation of buildings within a 500-meter (approximately 1640-feet) radius in the towns of Tayr Debba and Taybeh.
In a statement by the Arabic-speaking spokesman for the IDF, Avichay Adraee, the army said it would bomb «along southern Lebanon,» implying more locations than were detailed in the statement.
Once the wave of bombings began, the armed forces called for the evacuation of buildings in three more towns: Ayta al-Jabal, Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, and Kfar Dunin.
Images broadcasted by the Quds News Network (linked to Hamas) showed citizens of Zawtar al Sharquiyah in the street pointing to the sky at the time of the bombings and afterwards.
Israel maintains that its campaign is directed against Hezbollah targets and aims to prevent the Shiite movement from operating in Lebanese territory again, as the Arabic-language spokesman for the Israeli forces, Avichay Adraee, posted on X.
All this occurred hours after Hezbollah warned Lebanese leaders that entering into negotiations would only serve Israel’s interests, insisting that disarmament must be addressed within the framework of a consensual national strategy and not in response to Israeli «blackmail.»
Despite the ceasefire in force for almost a year, Israel had already been attacking Lebanese territory practically daily, but has recently intensified its bombings even further against alleged Hezbollah members and installations.
On Thursday, the Shiite movement insisted that its disarmament must be addressed within the framework of a consensual national strategy, not in response to Israeli «blackmail.»
These statements followed Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, expressing his willingness to hold negotiations with Israel, a proposal reportedly promoted by Washington during the visit of its special envoy, Morgan Ortagus, to Lebanon last week. EFE
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