Israeli Strikes Hit Nabatieh And Jezzine As Israel Issues Evacuation Warnings For 24 Locations

Lebanon reported Israeli strikes in the country’s south on Saturday as the Israeli army issued evacuation warnings for the city of Nabatieh and more than 20 other locations ahead of raids.

“Israeli attacks across southern Lebanon have killed at least five people as air raids and artillery strikes continue despite a United States-brokered “ceasefire””

Al Jazeera

AFP reported that in the Nabatieh area it heard blasts around Kfar Remman and saw a plume of smoke rising from Kfar Tebnit, which was not included in the evacuation warnings.

Al Jazeera

The Lebanese army said one of its soldiers was severely wounded after being hit by an Israeli drone on the road between Kfar Remman and Nabatieh, following an initial attempt to target him as he was moving near a hospital close to the city.

In parallel, the state-run National News Agency said an Israeli strike killed a local official in Rihan in the southern region of Jezzine, while an AFP correspondent in Nabatieh said the city was almost deserted amid artillery shelling overnight and on Saturday.

The Israeli military warned residents in 24 locations to "evacuate your homes immediately and move to the north of the Zahrani River" as it struck areas covered by the warnings.

Al Jazeera reported that Israeli attacks across southern Lebanon killed at least five people as air raids and artillery strikes continued despite a United States-brokered “ceasefire.”

Lebanon’s National News Agency said one person was killed in an air strike targeting the town of Maarakeh in Tyre district, and Al Jazeera also reported that Ali Badie, the mayor of Ar-Rihan municipality, was killed in the Jezzine district.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Al Jazeera said three people were killed in the towns of Deir al-Zahrani and Kafr Reman in Nabatieh district, and it described additional Israeli strikes hitting towns and villages including Bint Jbeil, Bir Ayshiyeh, Rmeish, Khirbet Selm and Burj Qalawiya.

The Israeli military threatened residents of 24 Lebanese towns and villages to leave their homes immediately and move “north of the Zahrani River,” and Al Jazeera listed forced displacement orders including Deir al-Zahrani, al-Namirieh, al-Sharquieh, Harouf, Kfarjoz, Zibdine, Nabatieh al-Tahta and Nabatieh al-Fawqa.

Hezbollah said it carried out a series of attacks in southern Lebanon, including firing an air-to-air missile to intercept an Israeli Hermes 450 drone over the Iqlim al-Tuffah area, and Al Jazeera reported the group also claimed it lured an Israeli infantry force into an ambush near Kfar Tebnit.

The fighting in Lebanon continued as US and Iran indicated they were close to reaching a deal that could also include Lebanon, with France 24 reporting that Iran insists Lebanon must be part of any agreement to end the wider Middle East war.

“Israel carries out air strikes on Lebanon, state media says, as Iran claims deal with US near Israel has carried out air strikes in the south of Lebanon after ordering people to leave about 20 locations, Lebanese state media has said”

BBC

France 24 said a senior US official told reporters that a draft peace deal "includes Lebanon," while it also reported that Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayyad said Lebanon should make do with any US-Iran deal that included the country.

Fayyad told reporters, "We want the Lebanese state to negotiate for itself, and nobody is suggesting forfeiting this role," and he added that the state must abandon the policy of being crushed in the face of the Israelis and submission to the Americans.

Lebanon’s leaders accused Tehran of treating their country as a “bargaining chip,” and France 24 reported that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Lebanon faced "a fateful test" with Israel-Lebanon talks scheduled for later this month.

In parallel, BBC reported that Israel carried out air strikes in the south after ordering people to leave about 20 locations, as Iran’s foreign minister said the agreement also envisages an end to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.