Israeli Attacks Intensify In Southern Lebanon, Killing At Least 19 And Displacing Thousands

Israeli attacks in Lebanon killed at least 19 people and wounded 58, according to Lebanese health authorities, as Israel intensified its assault in the south and issued mass displacement orders across the region.

Al Jazeera reported that an Israeli air strike south of Beirut killed a woman and two children after Israel’s army said it “precisely struck” the city without identifying the target, and it said this was the first strike on the Lebanese capital in three weeks.

Al Jazeera

The BBC described the strikes as among the fiercest since the ceasefire, with the Lebanese Health Ministry saying at least 31 people were killed in the latest attacks and the Israeli army saying it targeted more than 100 Hezbollah infrastructure sites.

In the south, Al Jazeera said residents were told to evacuate immediately and move north of the Zahrani River, roughly 40km (25 miles) from the Lebanon-Israel border, and it said the orders forced thousands of people to flee under threat of attack.

The AP reported that Israel’s military clashed with Hezbollah along the Litani River as Israeli troops pushed farther north, and it said the Litani River has been a de facto boundary in Lebanon with large areas to the south under Israeli military control despite the ceasefire.

In Tyre, Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto said the attacks were relentless, telling viewers, “Since midnight, there have been over a dozen strikes on the city of Tyre and its surrounding areas.”

Hitting the same city amid the displacement orders, the BBC reported that Netanyahu said Israel was deepening its operation in Lebanon and that “The Israeli army is operating with a large ground force and controls strategic sites.”

Al Jazeera

The AP quoted Netanyahu saying Israel would expand its operations in Lebanon, with the prime minister stating, “The (Israeli Defense Forces) are operating with large forces on the ground and seizing strategic areas,” as it tried to fortify an area under its control.

In Beirut, Tony Aboud told the AP from Hamra that Netanyahu’s remarks caused panic, saying, “By just saying a few words on TV, (Netanyahu) causes everyone to panic and flee their homes.”

The BBC said the ceasefire has been repeatedly violated by both sides, threatening to derail complex negotiations underway to end the war between the United States, Israel and Iran, while Al Jazeera said U.S.-brokered talks between Israel and Lebanon were due to resume on Thursday.

Al Jazeera reported that the escalation came as United States-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon are due to resume on Thursday, beginning with technical discussions before moving to broader negotiations in early June, but it said Israel’s intensified operations in the past two days cast doubt on diplomacy.

The AP said the Lebanese government hopes direct talks with Israel will lead to a permanent ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli troops, while Israel says it will not withdraw until Hezbollah no longer poses a threat to residents of its northern towns.

In the background of the fighting, the BBC reported that air-raid sirens sounded in northern Israel after a projectile was fired from Lebanon, and it said the Israeli army reported there were no reports of casualties.

Meanwhile, Democracy Now! said Israel ordered residents of all areas south of the Zahrani River to leave or face death, and it described the order as declaring some 14% of Lebanon’s territory as a combat zone.