Nabatiyeh Mayor killed in Israeli strikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon
- In Reports
- 08:54 PM, Oct 17, 2024
- Myind Staff
On Wednesday, Israel conducted extensive airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, resulting in the death of a city mayor and significant destruction across several southern regions, including the city of Nabatiyeh, a stronghold of the Iran-backed militant group and its ally Amal. These military actions come amid growing international scrutiny over the situation, particularly following injuries sustained by UN peacekeepers in Lebanon and the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Israeli military confirmed that its warplanes targeted multiple Hezbollah sites in the area.
Lebanon's health ministry reported that 16 people were killed and 52 injured in strikes targeting two municipal buildings, with at least six additional fatalities from other attacks, according to officials and reports. Among the deceased was the mayor of Nabatiyeh, as confirmed by a local official who described the strikes as creating "a kind of belt of fire."
Rescuers are working through the rubble in the southern Lebanese village of Qana, where Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday resulted in the deaths of three individuals, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The Israeli military confirmed that it had "eliminated" Jalal Mustafa Hariri, the local Hezbollah leader in Qana. Additionally, reports from the ANI news agency indicate that Israeli shelling in the Tayr Debba region near Tyrealso claimed three lives.
Israeli planes also targeted Hezbollah’s main stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut, with additional strikes reported in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa region to the east. In response, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a third rocket attack in 24 hours, striking the northern Israeli town of Safed. The group announced on Thursday that it had destroyed another Israeli tank near the Lebanese border using a “guided missile” following close combat with Israeli soldiers conducting incursions in the area. According to the Israeli military, approximately 90 Hezbollah “projectiles” crossed into Israel on Wednesday.
Since late September, Israel has intensified its bombardment and deployed ground troops across the Lebanese border. The ongoing conflict has resulted in at least 1,373 deaths in Lebanon, based on an AFP tally of figures from the Lebanese health ministry, though the actual toll is likely higher.
Israel's government has faced criticism over its strikes in Lebanon, including from its closest ally, the United States.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated Washington’s criticism on Wednesday, saying, “We have told Israel directly that we oppose any Israeli campaign… of near-daily strikes in densely populated areas of Beirut.”
She also said the United States had told Israel its operations should “not threaten the lives of civilians,” UN peacekeepers or the Lebanese military.
Sixteen European Union defense ministers called “for maximum political and diplomatic pressure on Israel” to prevent further incidents against peacekeepers.
In the latest incident, the UNIFIL peacekeeping force accused Israeli forces of “firing at their watchtower” in a “direct and apparently deliberate” manner.
The Israeli military insisted later that it was not targeting UN peacekeepers.
It is “conducting operational activity against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation,” it said in a statement.
“UNIFIL infrastructure sites and forces are not a target and every irregular incident will be thoroughly examined. The stated incident is under examination.”
On Wednesday, the Lebanese Red Cross reported that two paramedics were wounded in an Israeli strike on a village in southern Lebanon while they were coordinating a rescue mission with UN peacekeepers. Additionally, the World Health Organisation issued a warning about a "very high" risk of cholera spreading among displaced individuals in Lebanon, confirming a case of the potentially deadly infection this week.
Gaza has “become a kind of wasteland, which I would say is almost unliveable,” UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said.
Israel has encountered international condemnation regarding the levels of aid reaching hunger-stricken Gaza. In a letter sent to the Israeli government on Sunday, Washington cautioned that it might withhold weapons deliveries unless more humanitarian assistance was provided. Meanwhile, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees warned on Wednesday that there is “a real risk” of famine in the region.
Gaza has “become a kind of wasteland, which I would say is almost unliveable,” UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said. For over a week, Israeli forces have conducted extensive air and ground assaults in northern Gaza and the Jabalia area, citing the regrouping of Hamas militants as the justification. Nidal al-Arab, 40, tragically lost 10 family members in the Israeli strikes on Jabalia.
“People are trapped. If they don’t die of shelling, they will soon die of thirst and hunger,” he told AFP.
The head of the civil defense agency in northern Gaza, Ahmed al-Kahlout, reported that over 200,000 people have been “deprived of food aid for the 12th consecutive day, as well as potable water.” Israel initiated its military campaign in Gaza following the October 7 attack by Hamas, which resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures, including hostages killed in captivity. The ongoing Israeli campaign has led to the deaths of 42,409 people, the majority of whom are civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, which the UN considers reliable.
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