Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon intensified, killing at least 10 security personnel in a strike on a government building in Nabatieh. According to Al Jazeera correspondent Obaida Hitto reporting from Tyre, the death toll is likely to rise as civil defense teams continue searching for survivors in the rubble.
Israeli forces have been launching “non-stop” strikes across southern Lebanon since morning. Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that an airstrike on the town of Hannawiya killed one person and wounded another, with additional attacks destroying residential areas in Aita al-Shaab and targeting al-Majadel in the Tyre district. Al Jazeera journalists reported that Israeli forces blew up homes in the town of Hanine in the south.
The Lebanese group Hezbollah responded by firing rockets toward towns in northern Israel, including Kiryat Shmona, Metula, and Misgav Am. In a statement on Telegram, Hezbollah declared, “These attacks will continue until the Israeli-American aggression against the country and the people stops.” The group also claimed to have targeted Israel’s Ashdod naval base with missiles.
Despite the escalation in the south, Al Jazeera correspondent Zeina Khodr reported a relative lull in Beirut. She noted, “What we’ve noticed in the past 24 hours is that the tempo of Israeli strikes has been reduced, at least in the Beirut area. Israeli media and officials purportedly claim that the US is pressuring the Israeli government to de-escalate this conflict in Lebanon.”
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) issued warnings about a food security crisis. WFP’s Lebanon country director Allison Oman stated via videolink, “What we’re witnessing is not just a displacement crisis; it is rapidly becoming a food security crisis.” She warned that food is becoming increasingly unaffordable due to rising prices, higher demand from displaced families, and disruptions to supply routes caused by the US-Israel war on Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu allegedly ordered direct negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible.” Diplomatic efforts appear limited, however. According to Reuters, Lebanese representatives intend to join a meeting next week in Washington with US and Israeli officials to discuss a ceasefire. However, Anadolu agency reported that this meeting will be preliminary and not a negotiation.
The UN children’s agency UNICEF warned that escalating attacks are having “a devastating and inhumane toll on children.” The agency stated, “As news of a regional ceasefire agreement briefly ignited hope across the country, deadly Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon reportedly killed 33 children and injured 153.” Since March 2, about 600 children have been killed or injured in Lebanon.
Human Rights Watch reported that Israeli attacks have crippled critical infrastructure in the south, including bridges over the Litani River. The group said, “Between March 12 and April 8, Israeli forces systematically destroyed or severely damaged all main bridges connecting areas south of the Litani River to the rest of the country,” adding that only one main crossing remains operational.
Source: www.aljazeera.com