Israel Intensifies Attacks on Lebanon, Resulting in 31 Deaths

Lebanon. At least 31 people have died due to widespread air and rocket attacks in southern and eastern Lebanon after Israel intensified its attacks on Lebanon. Lebanon's health ministry said that among those killed were children.

This attack comes a few days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed to further tighten military action against Hezbollah. The Israeli army claimed to have targeted more than 100 Hezbollah infrastructures, weapons storage sites, and fighters.

Although a ceasefire was reached in mid-April with the mediation of the United States, both sides have been continuously violating it. It has been analyzed that this has also affected the complex negotiations regarding the end of the ongoing war between the United States, Israel, and Iran.

The Israeli army said that sirens were sounded on Wednesday morning after a projectile was fired from Lebanon into northern Israel. It was reported that the projectile fell in an open area and there was no human casualty.

According to local media, the air strikes were concentrated especially in the village of Mashghara in the Bekaa Valley and the Burj al-Shamali area in southern Lebanon. It has been reported that some attacks also occurred around the historic Beaufort Castle, a nearly 900-year-old fortress listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported that a couple died in an attack in the town of Arab Salim on Monday evening, while two more people lost their lives in the village of Qawthariyat el-Rej.

Many houses in Mashghara were destroyed in the overnight attacks. According to the health ministry, the bodies of 11 people, including a woman and two children, were recovered from the debris, and 15 people were injured.

The Mashghara area has become almost deserted after the attack. Local residents have accused the Israeli attacks of targeting civilians as well. A local official from the village, Ahmed, said, 'I am not a member of Hezbollah, but many people in the village are in favor of resistance, and Israel has not spared anyone.'

The Israeli army, on the other hand, released aerial footage claiming that attacks were carried out on 'infrastructures identified as Hezbollah activities' in Mashghara and that 'terrorists were killed'. It also stated that more than 90 weapons storage sites, command centers, and observation posts used by Hezbollah across southern Lebanon were destroyed. Hezbollah, however, stated that in response to Israel breaking the ceasefire, it attacked three military barracks and one military post in northern Israel.

According to Lebanon's health ministry, at least 3,185 people have died due to Israeli attacks during the same period.

From BBC