The Israeli occupation army intensified its air raids and artillery shelling on wide areas in southern Lebanon this Saturday morning, resulting in the martyrdom of at least 11 people and the destruction of a number of residential units. These attacks come on the fourth day of a wave of violent escalation, despite prior international talks about de-escalation efforts that have not found their way to implementation on the ground.
In the southern city of Sidon, an atmosphere of sadness prevailed during the funeral of 13 members of the Lebanese State Security apparatus, who were martyred as a result of an Israeli raid that targeted the Serail government building in the city of Nabatieh yesterday. This toll is the largest among official Lebanese security and military institutions since the outbreak and expansion of border confrontations.
Field sources reported that the difficult security conditions prevented the burial of some martyrs in their original villages due to the continuous shelling and violent clashes. It was decided to bury them in temporary cemeteries in the Sidon area, awaiting a ceasefire that would allow their families to transfer them to their hometowns later.
On the ground, Israeli aircraft destroyed a residential building in the town of Mayfadoun, in the Nabatieh district, leading to the martyrdom of three citizens under the rubble. The raids also targeted the town of Toul, where missiles struck several residential buildings in Martyr Sabra Street and Al-Maqam neighborhood, causing massive destruction to infrastructure and properties.
In the town of Jibsheet, occupation aircraft targeted a gathering of private electricity generators, completely destroying them and igniting huge fires at the site. An Israeli drone also carried out a raid near the Communism roundabout in the town of Kafr Rumman, while the residents of Jbaa town escaped a disaster after an unexploded missile fell in the middle of the residential area.
In the Marjayoun district, warplanes continued to target the town of Khiam with successive raids, coinciding with intense overflights by reconnaissance drones. This was accompanied by intense artillery shelling that targeted the outskirts of the town and its neighboring areas, leading to the displacement of more families to safer areas.
In the Tyre district, the occupation army used 'Merkava' tanks to shell the town of Mansouri after midnight with a number of direct shells. The towns of Qleileh and Hanine also came under concentrated artillery shelling, amidst continuous drone overflights that did not leave the area's airspace, further complicating the movement of paramedics and relief teams.
Reports indicate that Friday was exceptionally bloody, as Israel launched widespread attacks that included 59 Lebanese cities and towns, resulting in the martyrdom of 28 people. The most violent of these attacks were concentrated on the city of Nabatieh, which was subjected to what resembled a 'fire belt,' the most severe aggression the city has witnessed since early March.
On the political front, this field escalation comes at a time when news about a truce is conflicting, as Washington and Tel Aviv denied that Lebanon was included in any de-escalation agreement that regional parties had announced. Nevertheless, all eyes remain on the American capital, Washington, which is scheduled to host a direct meeting between Lebanese and Israeli delegations next Tuesday.
The upcoming meeting at the US State Department aims to set a timeline for the launch of direct negotiations aimed at halting military operations. However, the explosive field reality indicates a large gap between diplomatic efforts and the military operations launched by the occupation, directly targeting civilians and official Lebanese facilities.
Yesterday's attack caused the largest number of casualties in an official military-security institution in Lebanon since the expansion of the war began.
שתף את דעתך
Bloody Israeli escalation in southern Lebanon: Martyrs in intense raids and funeral for 13 State Security personnel