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Ceasefire breach strikes
Israeli forces launched “precise strikes” in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, citing what the IDF called a “blatant violation of the ceasefire” by Hezbollah.
“In response to a blatant violation of the ceasefire by the Hezbollah terrorist organization, the IDF has begun conducting precise strikes in southern Lebanon”
The strikes came shortly after an evacuation warning to residents of the southern Lebanese village of Al-Mansouri, with Arabic-language spokesperson Ella Waweya urging people to leave immediately and saying the Israeli army was “compelled to act.”
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said an Israeli strike targeted the roof of a prayer area at a cemetery in the town of Tibnin, killing one person and wounding 11 others.
In parallel, Israeli media reported that the IDF carried out targeted strikes against Hezbollah weapons depots and military infrastructure south of the Blue Line, using fighter jets, artillery and other forces from the 91st Division.
The BBC said the Tibnin strike killed a man and injured 12 other people, and it reported that strikes were also reported in the town of Mansouri after the first evacuation order for more than a month.
Evacuation, deaths, and dispute
The IDF’s evacuation warning for Al-Mansouri was described by Lebanese media as the first such order in more than a month, and the BBC said it was issued about 30 minutes before the strike.
A Ynet report said senior defense officials recommended a significantly stronger response to deter Hezbollah, but after discussions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, political leadership approved a limited response authorizing targeted strikes while avoiding broader escalation.
In the same reporting stream, the IDF spokesperson’s statement was quoted as: “In response to a blatant violation of the ceasefire by the Hezbollah terrorist organization, the IDF has begun conducting precise strikes in southern Lebanon.”
Lebanon’s Health Ministry figures also varied across outlets, with the BBC saying the Tibnin roof of a prayer hall was hit and that a man died and 12 other people were injured, while Kurdistan24 and other reports tied the Tibnin cemetery strike to one death and 11 wounded.
Al Jazeera reported that the renewed forced displacement orders for al-Mansouri were issued by Ella Waweya and that the village lay close to al-Mansouri, while it also described an explosion in a booby-trapped building in Majdal Selem that killed two Israeli soldiers.
What’s at stake next
The strikes and displacement orders unfolded as Israeli and Lebanese officials held U.S.-sponsored talks in Rome aimed at maintaining the ceasefire, with the BBC describing the talks as aimed at maintaining the ceasefire and referencing the late June trilateral framework.
“Hezbollah has rejected the agreement, saying the provisions linking Israel's withdrawal to the group's disarmament crossed "all red lines"”
The BBC said the framework would see the Israeli military gradually withdraw from territory it is occupying in southern Lebanon in exchange for the disarmament of Hezbollah, and it reported that Hezbollah rejected the agreement saying the provisions linking withdrawal to disarmament crossed “all red lines.”
The Guardian drew a parallel to Gaza, saying Israel’s approach in Lebanon was similar to Gaza where Israel occupies more than 60% of the strip under what it calls its “yellow line,” and it reported that more than 1,200 people have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of the October ceasefire.
In Lebanon, the Guardian said Wednesday was the first time Israel issued a displacement order since the start of the June ceasefire, and it reported that Israeli troops were wounded by booby-trapped vehicles and mines laid by Hezbollah in recent weeks.
Al Jazeera added that the second day of negotiations in Rome was expected to run through Thursday, with Beirut pushing for a phased Israeli withdrawal and an end to Israeli attacks, while Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said the talks would bring “nothing but shame, humiliation” and successive concessions for Lebanon.
