Gaza Genocide06 September, 20263 min read
Israel Strikes Southern Lebanon, Killing Seven After Hezbollah Drones Hit Ali Taher Ridge
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Seven killed and about twenty wounded in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon. Israeli strikes followed Hezbollah drones targeting troops at Ali Taher Ridge.
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Nabatieh strikes after drones
Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed seven people and wounded 20 others on Sunday after Hezbollah launched two explosive drones at Israeli troops operating in the Ali Taher Ridge area, according to Lebanese authorities and the Israel Defense Forces. The IDF said one of the drones targeting troops in the Ali Taher Ridge area was shot down and that no soldiers were injured, while it called the drone attack a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire and said it struck Hezbollah infrastructure and operatives in response. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said two people were killed and two wounded in Nabatieh al-Fawqa on Sunday morning, and it said two women were killed and six people wounded in nearby Arab Salim.
The Times of Israel reported that one Israeli strike destroyed Ghandour Hospital in Nabatieh al-Fawqa, and it said the facility was empty of patients and staff and had been out of service for years. The IDF said Hezbollah had been using the hospital as a command center and that it hit weapon depots and other buildings used by Hezbollah to advance attacks.
Warnings, evacuations, and claims
Ahead of the strikes, the IDF issued an “urgent warning” to residents near a building in Arab Salim that it said was used by Hezbollah, ordering people to move at least 300 meters away ahead of an airstrike. Lebanon’s National News Agency said that after the warning was issued, Israeli warplanes “launched a strike on another house, destroying it” and killing the two women. In parallel, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said on Sunday that 4 people were killed and 20 others injured in an initial toll of Israeli airstrikes targeting Nabatieh, Arsalalīm, and Kafarraam.
Sky News Arabia reported that the Lebanese National News Agency said the Israeli army issued a warning to evacuate a building in the town of Arsalalīm before targeting it, which led to its complete destruction. The Israeli army said it carried out airstrikes in southern Lebanon in response to Hezbollah launching drones toward its soldiers in what it calls the 'security zone,' and it said its soldiers fired and shot down one of the two drones with no injuries among their ranks.
No withdrawal and wider stakes
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Katz reiterated that Israel would not withdraw from the south until Hezbollah is disarmed, saying, “We will not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed,” as control of the Al-Tahr hills tightened the security grip on southern Lebanon. The Times of Israel reported that Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would not withdraw from its southern Lebanon security zone until Hezbollah had been disarmed throughout the country, and it said the operation “marks the completion of the phase of establishing control over the security zone in southern Lebanon.” The Lebanese Ministry of Health said the toll from Israeli strikes since March 2 had risen to 4,362 killed and 12,378 wounded, and it said targeting a hospital in Nabatieh al-Fouqa resulted in the complete destruction of a hospital.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged the United States to stop Israeli violations and hold perpetrators accountable, arguing that the new strikes exceeded alleged military objectives and hit civilian institutions and health facilities. Nabih Berri stressed that Israel is determined to turn the south and its people into a “ballot box drenched in blood” in its upcoming October elections, commenting on the new Israeli strikes as “state terrorism.”