An Israeli airstrike on Wednesday targeted the municipal building in Nabatieh, a major town in southern Lebanon, killing the town’s mayor, Ahmed Kahi, and five other persons.
The strike came as Israel intensifies its military actions in southern Lebanon, targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters in the region, including underground infrastructure in Nabatieh.
The Israeli military reported that it had struck numerous Hezbollah positions in the area, supported by Israeli naval forces, which conducted coordinated operations with ground troops. These operations come despite growing U.S. concerns over the rising death toll and the risk of a wider regional conflict.
Earlier in the day, an Israeli strike hit southern Beirut’s suburbs, known as Hezbollah’s stronghold. Reuters witnesses reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke in multiple locations. This follows previous Israeli strikes in the area, which have been conducted with limited warnings or no advance notice, despite Israel’s claims that steps are taken to minimize civilian casualties.
The Israeli military stated that the strikes targeted Hezbollah’s weapons stockpiles, with warnings issued to mitigate civilian risk. However, concerns remain as these airstrikes continue to devastate civilian infrastructure.
Israel’s evacuation orders now affect more than a quarter of Lebanon’s population, as the U.N. refugee agency reported. These orders follow weeks of Israeli military incursions in southern Lebanon aimed at driving back Hezbollah fighters.
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Israel also intensified its airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon on Tuesday, targeting several areas, including the Bekaa Valley, where a hospital was severely damaged, as stated by Lebanon’s National News Agency. The strikes come as Israel reported capturing three Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese health ministry confirmed that at least nine people were killed in the south, with five more deaths, including three children, reported from the east.
The US government has expressed growing concern over Israel’s military campaign. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller condemned the strikes, particularly in Beirut, as “unacceptable.” In a letter sent to Israeli officials on Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned that future U.S. weapons deliveries to Israel could be withheld unless more aid reaches Palestinians in Gaza.
The United Nations echoed these concerns, stating that restrictions on humanitarian aid to Gaza are the worst since Israel’s offensive against Hamas began in October 2023. James Elder, a spokesperson for UNICEF, emphasized the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, with several days where no aid trucks were allowed into the besieged area.
Meanwhile, Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza continues to result in significant casualties. Reports from Gaza’s health ministry indicate that over 42,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the conflict began, with Israeli forces intensifying air and ground assaults in northern Gaza and Jabalia, claiming to have eliminated over 50 Hamas militants in recent strikes.
The situation in Lebanon has also escalated, with at least 1,356 fatalities reported since Israel intensified its air campaign against Hezbollah last month. The conflict has displaced nearly 690,000 people in Lebanon, a country already grappling with an economic crisis.
Israel is also responding to growing tensions with Iran, following the launch of about 200 missiles by the Iranian military on October 1. Iran’s actions were in retaliation for Israeli strikes in Beirut that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian general Abbas Nilforoushan. Israeli officials have stated that Israel, not the United States, will determine its next steps in response to these developments.
As the conflict rages on, the international community continues to call for increased humanitarian access and a ceasefire to prevent further loss of life.
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