Israeli shells target UNIFIL headquarters, massacre in Nabatieh leaves martyrs and wounded

The headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was subjected to Israeli artillery shelling on Friday evening, with several shells falling inside the barracks of the Nepalese battalion stationed in the town of Mays al-Jabal. Official sources reported that this attack comes in the context of the widespread military escalation launched by the occupation army on Lebanese territory since the beginning of March.

For its part, the Nepalese Consulate in Beirut quickly condemned this direct targeting of its military sites, expressing its relief that there were no human casualties among its soldiers. The consulate stressed in a statement that targeting peacekeeping forces represents a clear violation of international conventions that protect UN missions in conflict zones.

On the ground, the occupation army committed a new massacre in the city of Nabatieh, where an airstrike targeted the residential Al-Rahibat neighborhood, resulting in the martyrdom of five citizens and the injury of five others with varying degrees of wounds. The Lebanese Ministry of Health clarified that this toll is preliminary and is likely to rise as rubble removal and search for missing persons operations continue.

Israeli raids did not stop there, but included a series of violent attacks on the towns of Al-Khraib, Zawtar Al-Sharqiyah, Al-Qasibah, Bint Jbeil, and Al-Khiam. The shelling also targeted a health center in the town of Burj Qallawi, reflecting a systematic targeting of infrastructure and relief and medical facilities in the south.

In the capital Beirut, the occupation aircraft renewed its raids on the southern suburbs, targeting the densely populated Al-Jamouz neighborhood, which led to widespread destruction of property and a state of panic among the residents. These raids come within the 'scorched earth' policy pursued by the occupation in an attempt to pressure the popular base of the resistance.

On the opposite front, the resistance in Lebanon announced the implementation of a series of qualitative operations in response to the ongoing aggressions, where it targeted a gathering of occupation soldiers in the 'Yaara' settlement with a swarm of kamikaze drones. The resistance confirmed that the drones accurately hit their targets, achieving direct hits among the forces stationed there.

Retaliatory operations also included targeting the 'Al-Sadah' military site opposite the border town of Maroun al-Ras with an intense rocket barrage, in addition to shelling gatherings of the occupation army in the northern neighborhood of the city of Al-Khiam. These field movements confirm the resistance's readiness to confront attempts at ground incursions recently initiated by the occupation.

In the context of political positions, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem stressed that the resistance has prepared itself for a long-term battle, noting that diplomatic solutions have not succeeded in curbing the aggression. Qassem considered that the option of resistance is the only one capable of protecting Lebanon from the danger of annihilation that threatens it due to Israeli ambitions.

Official statistics issued by health authorities in Lebanon indicate that the toll of the ongoing aggression since March 2nd has reached 773 martyrs, including 103 children who fell in indiscriminate raids. The number of wounded also rose to 1933 injured, amid difficult health conditions suffered by Lebanese hospitals as a result of the siege and shelling.

On the humanitarian front, Israeli military operations caused a widespread wave of displacement, with more than 830,000 Lebanese forced to leave their homes and head to safer areas. Shelter centers face major challenges in securing basic needs for the displaced amid a severe shortage of resources and international aid.

It is worth noting that this escalation came after repeated Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement previously reached, as the occupation expanded its targeting to include political assassinations and intense airstrikes. The resistance responded to these violations by targeting military sites in the occupied north, which led to the outbreak of the current confrontation.

International circles are watching with great concern the deterioration of the situation on the Lebanese border, especially with the repeated targeting of UNIFIL forces, which have been subjected to previous attacks that resulted in the injury of Ghanaian soldiers. Expectations remain open to further escalation in light of the occupation's insistence on continuing its aggression and the resistance's refusal to back down from defending Lebanese sovereignty.

Targeting UN peacekeeping forces' positions is a serious violation of international law and the principles that guarantee the protection of UN forces while carrying out their duties.