Seven killed in Israeli airstrikes amid escalation in Lebanon
At least seven people were killed and four others injured on March 22nd following Israeli airstrikes on several regions of Lebanon in response to the interception of three rockets from the areas, as reported by AL24 News.
The Health Ministry’s emergency operations centre reported the toll.
In the Marjayoun district of southern Lebanon, five people, including a child, were killed and 11 others injured in an airstrike.
Meanwhile, six people were injured in the towns of Housh al-Sayyid and Saraain in the Baalbek-Hermel governorate in eastern Lebanon.
A separate drone strike targeted a parking area in the al-Raml neighbourhood of Tyre on the evening of March 22nd, injuring four people, according to the initial toll.
The ministry also reported a strike on the town of Yahmor al-Shaqif in the Nabatieh district that left one person injured, while two others were wounded in an attack on Kfarkela.
Israeli artillery and airstrikes hit southern Lebanon after Israel claimed on March 22nd that it had intercepted three rockets launched from the area.
Hezbollah denied “any link” in the rocket launches and reiterated its commitment to the US-backed ceasefire, according to AL24 News.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a “second wave of strikes against dozens of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon”, marking the largest escalation since the November 27th ceasefire.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned attempts to drag Lebanon back into the cycle of violence and instructed the Lebanese army to respond to “any violation” that could threaten the country’s stability.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned of the “dire consequences” of renewed military activity along Lebanon’s southern border, urging the international community to pressure Israel to fully withdraw from the occupied Lebanese territories.
The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon expressed concern over the “volatile” situation, warning that further escalation could have serious consequences for the region.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 26th, but the deadline was extended to February 18th after Israel refused to comply.
It still maintains a military presence at five major border outposts.
AL24 News.
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