Israeli Airstrikes Claim 21 Lives In Southern Lebanon/ Image @ BBC
At least 21 individuals were reported dead in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, as confirmed by the country’s Health Ministry and various media outlets.
Among those killed, twelve, including three children and three women, lost their lives in a single airstrike that targeted a residence in Deir Qanoun al-Nahr, according to the state-run National News Agency.
While the Israeli military has not issued a statement regarding this specific incident, it has previously indicated that its operations are aimed at the Iran-backed Shia militant group Hezbollah.
On the same day, one Israeli soldier was reported killed during a Hezbollah assault on forces stationed in southern Lebanon.
The escalation follows a recent announcement from the United States that Lebanon and Israel had agreed to extend a ceasefire for an additional 45 days, with negotiations slated to resume next month.
Hezbollah entered the conflict on March 2 by launching rockets into Israel in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike that resulted in the death of Iran’s supreme leader. In response, Israel initiated an extensive air campaign across Lebanon accompanied by a ground invasion.
Despite the US-brokered ceasefire coming into effect nearly five weeks ago, both Israel and Hezbollah have continued to engage in hostilities. Israeli airstrikes persist around the clock, particularly in southern regions of Lebanon, with reports of civilian casualties, including women and children.
Hezbollah has retaliated by targeting northern Israeli communities with rockets and drones, as well as engaging Israeli troops occupying a strip of land in southern Lebanon that extends up to 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border.
On Tuesday evening, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported that ten individuals were killed and three others wounded, including a child, in the airstrike on Deir Qanoun al-Nahr within the Tyre district.
The following morning, the National News Agency stated that two additional bodies were recovered from the debris of the destroyed home, identifying them as eleven members of one family and a Syrian national, although their names were not disclosed.
The Health Ministry further reported that nine more people died and 29 sustained injuries from Israeli airstrikes targeting Nabatieh and Tyre districts.
In Nabatieh, four individuals, including two women were killed, while five others perished in a strike on the nearby village of Kfar Sir.
Earlier on Tuesday, it was reported that Israeli forces had targeted over 25 Hezbollah infrastructure sites, including weapons storage facilities and command centers, throughout various areas of southern Lebanon within the preceding 24 hours.
Additionally, a deputy company commander was killed by Hezbollah fire while conducting operations in a southern Lebanese village.
In related developments, Hezbollah announced that its fighters engaged with an Israeli military unit attempting to advance near the town square of Haddatha in Bint Jbeil district. They also claimed to have destroyed an Israeli tank during these confrontations.
Moreover, Hezbollah reported conducting further attacks against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and targeting Iron Dome air defense systems near the border in northern Israel.
According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, at least 3,094 people have died in Lebanon since the onset of this conflict, although these figures do not differentiate between combatants and civilians.
Israeli officials report that 21 soldiers and four civilians have been killed during the same timeframe.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong