Israel’s military launched heavy airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Wednesday, targeting what it described as Hezbollah weapons sites, after an earlier drone attack killed one person and injured several others, including schoolchildren traveling on a bus.
The latest assault followed an airstrike a day earlier that killed 13 people in the Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp — the deadliest Israeli attack in Lebanon since last year’s ceasefire brought the Israel-Hezbollah conflict to a halt.
In Gaza, Israeli forces also carried out multiple strikes after reporting gunfire at their troops in the south. Health officials in Gaza said the attacks killed at least 25 Palestinians, marking one of the deadliest days in the territory since the Oct. 10 ceasefire came into effect. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited a buffer zone inside Syrian territory seized by Israel last year.
Israel Says Hezbollah Is Rebuilding
On Wednesday, the Israeli army warned residents of several southern Lebanese villages to evacuate, claiming it would target Hezbollah positions there. Strikes began over an hour later in the villages of Shehour and Deir Kifa.
The military alleged that Hezbollah was trying to reestablish its presence in the area, though it provided no evidence. According to Israel, the sites struck were located among civilian neighborhoods and violated last year’s agreement in which Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon and Beirut pledged to curb Hezbollah’s activity.
Earlier in the day, an Israeli strike on a car in the village of Tiri killed one person and wounded 11 others, including children on a nearby school bus. Israel later said the attack killed a Hezbollah operative.
In Ein el-Hilweh, life appeared normal on Wednesday even as paramedics searched for remains at the blast site, where burned vehicles and debris marked the latest strike. Israel said it targeted a Hamas training facility preparing attacks, a claim Hamas denied, saying the site was merely a sports field.
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Efforts to Disarm Factions
Palestinian groups in Lebanon’s 12 refugee camps have been turning over their weapons to Lebanese authorities this year. The government also announced plans to work toward disarming Hezbollah, but the group rejected the idea, citing ongoing Israeli strikes and the occupation of border hills.
The United States has recently pressured Lebanon to take stronger action against Hezbollah and cancelled a planned Washington visit by Lebanese army chief Gen. Rudolph Haikal. A senior Lebanese army official told AP that U.S. officials were angered by a military statement accusing Israel of destabilizing Lebanon.
The current Israel-Hezbollah conflict erupted on Oct. 8, 2023, after Hezbollah fired rockets following Hamas’s attack on Israel the day before. Israel responded with a major bombing campaign and later a ground offensive. The war killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon and caused an estimated $11 billion in damage. Israel reported 127 deaths, including 80 soldiers.
Israeli Strikes Kill 25 in Gaza
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported 25 Palestinians killed and 77 wounded on Wednesday, with casualties coming from both sides of the “yellow line” established under the ceasefire deal. Bodies were taken to hospitals in Gaza City, Khan Younis, and the Muwasi displacement camp.
The Israeli military said the strikes were a response to militants firing on Israeli troops in Khan Younis. Hamas denied the allegation, calling the attacks a “shocking massacre.”
Although Israeli strikes have decreased since the truce began, they have not stopped. More than 300 people have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took hold, according to the ministry.
Overall, more than 69,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its offensive two years ago after militants killed around 1,200 people and abducted 251 in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack.
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Netanyahu Tours Seized Buffer Zone in Syria
Netanyahu’s visit to a demilitarized zone in Syria drew swift condemnation. Israel captured the area last year amid Syria’s instability, adding to concerns it seeks to expand control over the Golan Heights — territory it annexed in 1967 without international recognition.
Syrian officials said the visit was a “grave violation” of sovereignty. Israel has intensified operations in southern Syria in recent months, including advances on farmland, new checkpoints, and activities drawing interest from Israeli settlers.
Negotiations between Syrian and Israeli officials aimed at easing tensions have stalled.
Source: AP