18 Killed, 33 Wounded in Israeli Strikes on Southern Lebanon
The Public Health Emergency Operations Center of Lebanon’s Health Ministry stated on Friday that at least 18 people were killed and 33 others injured in a series of Israeli air strikes on residential areas in southern Lebanon. In a statement, the operations centre said the ongoing Israeli air strikes have hampered rescue efforts and obstructed the evacuation of victims in several affected areas, adding that the casualty toll remains provisional.
Lebanon’s National News Agency previously reported 16 people killed in the Israeli air strikes on residential areas in the Nabatieh District, southern Lebanon. According to the report, the strikes targeted the towns of Harouf, Sharqieh, and Kfar Sir, while other attacks hit Kfar Remmen, Kfar Tebnit, and nearby areas, causing casualties and reports of missing persons.
Nabatieh and its surrounding areas experienced one of the most intense nights of bombardment in recent months as Israeli forces intensified attacks across the region. Beginning around 1:30 a.m. local time, heavy artillery fire struck Nabatieh and the towns of Kfar Remmen, Zebdine, Nabatieh al-Fawqa, Habboush, Sajd, and Jabal al-Rihan. Around 2:10 a.m., Israeli fighter jets launched a series of air strikes targeting Nabatieh, Kfar Tebnit, Nabatieh al-Fawqa, and the Rihan Heights.
At approximately 3:00 a.m., Israeli aircraft carried out two waves of strikes in the Kfar Remmen-Nabatieh area, the university district of Nabatieh city, and the Baydar neighbourhood in Harouf, killing eight people according to initial reports. Another strike targeted the area between the towns of Sharqiyeh and Doueir, destroying a house and killing four people. Simultaneously, Israeli artillery heavily shelled the Rahibat neighbourhood in Nabatieh.
In Kfar Sir, an Israeli air strike killed three people, while the town of Qsaybeh was hit by another attack around 4:00 a.m. local time, accompanied by artillery fire targeting the outskirts of Kfar Sir and Qsaybeh. Additional air strikes later hit Kfardjal and Kfar Tebnit. Around 5:00 a.m., an Israeli drone targeted a motorcycle near the Doueir municipal building, killing one person and wounding another. The town of Jebchit was also subjected to a series of drone strikes accompanied by artillery fire. At about 5:15 a.m., Israeli fighter jets launched an air strike on Adchit, followed by additional strikes in the Kfar Remmen-Nabatieh and Toul areas, while artillery fire continued to target Jebchit.
The strikes occurred despite a recent agreement between Iran and the United States aimed at easing regional tensions, including in Lebanon, and amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation along the Lebanon-Israel border.