The deadly Israeli strikes in South Lebanon, as well as Hezbollah operations, continued on Tuesday despite the ceasefire which came into force on April 17 and extended for 45 days last Friday. At the beginning of the afternoon, the Israeli army ordered the evacuation of 12 localities in the South and in the Bekaa, including Nabatiyé el-Tahta, a central sector of this capital. At 2 p.m., Israeli soldiers kidnapped seven people on the Khraybe road, on the outskirts of Kfar Hammam and Kfarchouba (Hasbaya). Four of them were then released after being briefly detained in Rachaya el-Foukhar, indicates Civil Defense, which specifies that three citizens still remain in Israeli detention. These are three brothers from the village of Halta, identified as Ali, Chawki and Ahmad Attie, according to our correspondent in the South Mountasser Abdallah. Those released are Syrian workers.
At least fifteen killed and evacuation orders
At least fifteen people were killed during the day in Israeli airstrikes targeting southern Lebanon: 4 in Kfarsir, 7 in Deir Qanoun el-Nahr, and the rest of the victims in Harouf (Nabatiyé), Nabatiyé, Froun (Bint Jbeil) and Kfar Dajjal, according to our correspondent in the South. In Kfarsir, Israeli warplanes targeted a house, killing four people, including two women, and injuring two others. Those killed were identified as Safia Badreddine, Ali Nazih Qamiha, Naziha Qamiha and Ahmad el-Sablini.
In Harouf, an Israeli drone strike killed at least one person and injured another. The strike, which took place near the municipal headquarters, killed Nasser Nasr, a member of the village’s municipal council, who was distributing bread to residents who remained there at the time of the attack. Another strike carried out with the same means hit a two-wheeler on the road linking Kfar Dajjal to Nabatiyé, killing its driver.
Furthermore, the Israeli army ordered the evacuation of 12 villages in southern Lebanon and one village in West Bekaa around noon. The villages concerned are Toura, Bazouriyé, Tayr Debba, Chehabiyé, Bourj el-Chamali (Tyr), Nabatiyé el-Tahta, Habbouche, Aïn Qana, Jebshit, Houmine el-Fawqa (Nabatiyé), Kfarhouné (Jezzine) and Lebbaya (Békaa-West). “You must evacuate your homes immediately and move at least 1,000 meters from towns and villages,” said the statement published on X by Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee. Around 6 p.m., three Israeli strikes targeted Lebbaya, two carried out by a warplane, and another by a drone, reports our correspondent Sarah Abdallah.
In addition, Israeli aircraft targeted the villages of Majdel Selm (Bint Jbeil), Chehabiyé (Tyr), Debbine (Marjeyoun) Kfarremane and Zawtar al-Charqiyé (Nabatiyé). A house was also hit in Mlikh (Jezzine). Another bombing hit a house in Maaraka (Tyr) sheltering a family, leaving five people injured, reports our correspondent in the region. Israeli warplanes targeted a home in Deir Qanoun el-Nahr (Tyr), near the municipal building, killing seven people, including four children, and injuring three. According to the president of the Municipal Council, Ali Qoussair, the targeted house housed a large family and the search continues to find three people still missing under the rubble.
Another Israeli raid hitting a house in the town of Nabatiyé left at least one dead. A drone strike also targeted two motorcycles in Hanouniyé in the district of Tyre.
Our correspondent also reports Israeli artillery fire targeting the villages of Zebqine (Tyr), Debbine (Marjeyoun), Yater and Kafra (Bint Jbeil), as well as the surroundings of Beaufort Castle in Arnoun (caza de Nabatiyé).
At the same time, an Israeli drone flew at low altitude over the city of Saida on Tuesday morning. A small Israeli aircraft also dropped two grenades on farmers working in a field in Qlaylé, south of Tyre, without causing any casualties. Israeli artillery fire targeted farm workers in the Mansouri plain, south of Tyre, on Tuesday morning as they harvested watermelons in the area. The area was also hit by phosphorous bombing, while several shells fell near farmers.
Hezbollah attacks
For its part, Hezbollah carried out several operations during the day against Israeli positions and northern Israel. According to a press release, the Shiite party reached an Israeli communications vehicle at 8 a.m. using an attack drone in Taybe Square (Marjeyoun). He also claims to have targeted the Ras Naqoura naval site at 10:55 a.m. using a squadron of drones, targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and military vehicles in Rchaf with a salvo of rockets, destroyed a platform of the defense system “Iron Dome” aerial attack on the site of Jal al-Allam using an attack drone at 1:25 p.m., as well as having launched a squadron of drones against a newly established Israeli position at Maroun el-Ras (Bint Jbeil) at 4 p.m. The movement also said it had targeted an Israeli military vehicle at the al-Qaouzah (Bint Jbeil) intersection at 4:30 p.m. and at 4:45 p.m., Israeli soldiers in the village of Ramiyé (caza de Bint Jbeil). He added that he fired artillery shells at Israeli soldiers positioned in Beit Lif (Bint Jbeil) at 11:30 a.m.
In northern Israel, Hezbollah claims to have launched a squadron of drones at 10 a.m. against Israeli vehicles and soldiers west of the village of Arab el-Aramche. The movement also claimed responsibility for an attack on the village of Margaliot at 2:30 p.m. and said it had targeted an Israeli military vehicle in Miskav Am at 2 p.m., claiming to have obtained a “confirmed impact.” The Israeli army, for its part, announced that a drone launched from Lebanon had exploded in northern Israel, while the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported two injuries.
The movement also claims two attacks that occurred on Monday: according to the press releases, a “high quality” attack drone hit a position of Israeli soldiers in a tent in Debel (Marjeyoun), and a squadron of drones was launched against Israeli soldiers in the village of Adaïssé (caza de Marjeyoun).
Monday evening, the Israeli army carried out a series of intense strikes in southern Lebanon. Two people, Ali Fakih and Fady Sleiman, were killed in a strike on a building in Qana (caza de Tyre), while another man, Ali Jamal Fahs, was killed in a strike on a house in Jebchit.
During the night, the Israeli army also struck Zaoutar el-Gharbiyé, homes in Harouf, Zebqine, Kafra and Kfar Dounine, and carried out artillery fire on Haris and Sultaniyé. At 1 a.m., the Israeli army issued an evacuation order for an area of Maachouk, east of Tyre. Civil Defense teams from Bourj al-Chemali were deployed to warn residents and help with evacuations. Shortly after, warplanes struck the targeted building with two missiles, completely destroying it. No casualties have been reported, according to our correspondent.
The human toll
On the humanitarian front, Health Minister Rakan Nasreddine indicated Tuesday that Israeli forces have killed 116 health workers in Lebanon since March 2, the date of Hezbollah’s entry into the regional conflict alongside Iran. He also said 263 others were injured, in addition to massive destruction of ambulances, health centers and hospitals. The Ministry of Public Health also condemned the total destruction by the Israeli army of the primary health care center of Maachouk, in the district of Tire, which occurred on Monday, May 18. The ministry specifies that this center is part of the primary health care network deployed across Lebanon, with the aim of providing health services to the population. He indicates that this attack brings to 31 the number of health centers affected since the start of the offensive.
Furthermore, the Financial Times reported Tuesday that Israel has seized around 1,000 km² of territory since October 7, 2023, including more than half in South Lebanon, where Israeli forces are said to have advanced up to ten kilometers to create a buffer zone. Despite the agreement concluded on April 16 between the Lebanese government and Israel, Israeli strikes have left at least 3,042 dead and 9,301 injured since March 2 according to the updated report from the Ministry of Health, while Hezbollah carries out around a dozen attacks per day, mainly targeting Israeli forces in the south.
