Middle East War: Exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah continue after talks

Following direct discussions in Washington aimed at ensuring lasting peace between the two countries, Lebanon was targeted by numerous Israeli strikes on Wednesday, April 15.

Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon: Israel has urged residents in southern Lebanon, where its strikes have been ongoing, to evacuate a large area between the border and the Zahrani River, more than 40 kilometers to the north. According to the official National News Agency (Ani), two Israeli strikes targeted two vehicles on a highway about twenty kilometers south of the capital Beirut. One hit a car near Jiyeh and the other struck a van in the nearby area of Saadiyat, which are not Hezbollah strongholds, according to the agency.

A photographer from Agence France-Presse (AFP) witnessed a burnt car and firefighters working to extinguish the fire. Rescuers were recovering human remains from the vehicle and its surroundings, while the army established a security cordon, causing a huge traffic jam on the road.

Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah: In the past 24 hours, the Israeli army has targeted over 200 terrorist infrastructure sites belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. This included terrorists, military structures, and about 20 rocket launchers.

Rocket attacks by Hezbollah on Israel: On Wednesday morning, Hezbollah fired around thirty rockets towards Israel, as reported by an Israeli army spokesperson to AFP.

Negotiations in Washington: On Tuesday evening, the first direct discussions in over thirty years were held in Washington between Lebanon and Israel. Both countries will start direct negotiations to establish lasting peace, as stated by the US State Department, which hosted the meeting, although a ceasefire was not announced.

Chief of HCR’s appeal for Lebanese: Barham Saleh, head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR), called on the international community to provide urgent support to Lebanon on Wednesday.

The humanitarian consequences of the war in Lebanon are immense, and it is critical to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure from attacks, according to the UN official. The Chief of HCR emphasized that Lebanon deserves support and stability, not to be trapped in a recurring cycle of violence.

Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon since March 2 have displaced over a million people, which is one-fifth of the Lebanese population. Among them, more than 140,000 are in state-run shelters.