Israeli Airstrikes Kill 12 in Lebanon, Including Children, in Saksakiyeh and Beirut

An Israeli air strike destroyed a building where a family displaced by the war were sheltering in the town of Saksakiyeh in southern Lebanon, and nine people were killed there, according to the BBC.

The BBC reported that the Israeli military said it had targeted Hezbollah members operating from a building used for military purposes and that they posed an "immediate threat," while it also said it was "reviewing reports regarding harm to uninvolved civilians".

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In Beirut, the AP said Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday struck seven vehicles in Lebanon, including three on the main highway just south of Beirut, killing 12 people including a woman and her two children, and the Lebanese Health Ministry said the strikes were hours after evacuation orders for six southern villages.

The AP added that two of Wednesday’s drone attacks hit a highway linking Beirut with the southern port city of Sidon, while a third struck the town of Saadiyat near the busy freeway, and a fourth strike near the northern entrance of Sidon left one person dead and another wounded.

The BBC described southern Lebanon as the heartland of the country’s Shia community and said Israel’s attacks come day and night, while it quoted a resident in the area saying, "That's when things get active in the sky."

The AP said the United Nations has accused Hezbollah of drone strikes near its peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon, and UNIFIL said a presumed Hezbollah drone detonated inside its headquarters in the coastal town of Naqoura on Tuesday.

ABNA English

The AP reported that UNIFIL said it is increasingly concerned about fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli soldiers near its positions, putting peacekeepers at risk, including with explosions of drones in and around U.N. bases.

In Washington, the AP said Lebanon and Israel are scheduled to hold another round of direct talks on Thursday as the Trump administration pushes for a breakthrough between the two neighbors, and it cited UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message that both sides must observe the ceasefire and stop all attacks.

The National said Israel launched a wave of strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday, killing at least 12 people on the eve of a third round of peace talks in Washington, with two children among the dead in strikes that mainly hit vehicles.

“At least 15 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across Lebanon, according to the National News Agency, including eight people – two of them children – killed in three Israeli drone attacks on a key highway linking Beirut to southern Lebanon”

Al Jazeera

The National reported that UN peacekeepers warned drone warfare between Israel and Hezbollah was putting their operations at risk, and it said Unifil said four suspected Hezbollah drones have exploded near UN headquarters this week, some "within metres".

The National also said Hezbollah strongly opposes the face-to-face contacts and quoted a State Department official saying US President Donald Trump "has been clear that direct engagement between the two countries is the best way to swiftly advance a lasting peace and security agreement."

In parallel, Al Jazeera said at least 15 people were killed in Israeli attacks across Lebanon, including eight people killed in three Israeli drone attacks on a key highway linking Beirut to southern Lebanon, and it reported that forced displacement orders were issued for residents of six southern villages with warnings to move at least 1,000 metres away to "open areas."