Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon escalate, killing 11 people.

Escalation of raids in southern Lebanon

Southern Lebanon witnessed a new military escalation, following a series of Israeli raids that resulted in the deaths of 11 people and injuries to five others, while the death toll of the Lebanese army rose to three within 24 hours, amid growing fears of the collapse of the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

Targeting civilian areas and displaced persons

Lebanese media reported that the Israeli raids targeted several areas in the south, including Sidon, Tyre, and Adloun, while ambulance and civil defense teams worked to retrieve victims from under the rubble and transport the wounded to hospitals.

The National News Agency reported that an Israeli raid targeted a residential apartment in the Qayaa area of Sidon, resulting in the deaths of three people and injuries to several others, including civilians from a displaced family from the south.

It also noted the deaths of six people, including children, following an attack on a car carrying a civilian family as it attempted to flee from threatened villages to a safer area on the Adloun highway in the Nabi Sari area.

In the city of Tyre, a drone strike targeting a motorcycle in the popular housing area resulted in two deaths, while Israeli raids continued on various areas in southern Lebanon.

Losses of the Lebanese army

In a notable development, the Lebanese army announced the death of one of its soldiers from an Israeli raid that targeted the Zafta – Deir al-Zahrani road, while media reports confirmed that the death toll of the Lebanese army rose to three within one day, indicating an expansion of the scope of targeting.

Raid on the southern suburb of Beirut

Simultaneously with the raids in the south, the Israeli military carried out a raid targeting a residential apartment in the Chouifat area south of Beirut, marking the second direct targeting of the southern suburb and its surroundings since the ceasefire was announced in April.

Israeli media reported that the raid targeted Ali al-Husseini, whom it described as the commander of Hezbollah’s missile unit, while circulated footage showed smoke rising from the targeted building following the attack.

A spokesperson for the Israeli military had previously announced the execution of a “precision strike” in the Beirut area, without providing additional details about the operation or its results.

Positions of the parties and extension of the truce

Israel says its operations aim to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its military capabilities and deploying its missile systems near the border, while the party asserts that the Israeli raids represent a clear violation of the truce and an attempt to impose new realities on the ground.

The recent rounds of fighting between the two sides have resulted in the deaths of more than three thousand people, in addition to large waves of displacement and significant destruction in areas of southern Lebanon, while the truce was extended for an additional 45 days days ago in an attempt to contain the escalation.