Three soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese army said. The military in Beirut said the Israeli army opened fire on a military vehicle near Ein Ebel, not far from the Israeli border. The Israeli Defense Forces did not initially comment on the incident. Lebanon’s military is neutral in the conflict between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia.
In total, more than 50 towns and villages were hit, Lebanese state news agency NNA reported. A senior Hezbollah commander was killed in the south of the country, the Israeli military said. He was responsible for several attacks on Israel and commanded battles in the Bint Jubail region near the border.
According to the military, it was Alhaj Abbas Salameh, a senior representative of the Southern Command. Radja Abbas Awache, a communications expert, and Ahmad Ali Hussain, who was responsible for the development of strategic weapons, were also killed by the armed forces. There was no initial statement from Hezbollah.
Alerts by Telegram
Regarding the attacks on the capital, the NNA state agency said: “Enemy aircraft carried out two early morning attacks in the southern suburbs of Beirut, one of which hit a residential building in Hared Hreek.” There is a mosque and a hospital near the house. The Israeli military, for its part, said it struck “a Hezbollah intelligence command center and an underground weapons workshop” in Beirut.
Before the airstrikes, military spokesman Avichai Adrai warned residents in a telegram in Arabic: “You are near Hezbollah facilities (…) that will be targeted by security forces in the future.”
Atrai urged residents to seek safety “at least 500 meters” from these targets. The post was attached with two maps showing the affected locations. In recent days, the Israeli military has called for several evacuations in various parts of Lebanon ahead of its airstrikes.
More Israeli attacks in Beirut suburbs
According to Lebanese sources, Israeli attacks on the outskirts of Beirut were reported again on Sunday evening. Just recently, the Israeli military announced plans to attack Hezbollah’s financial institutions. In a post, he asked people to stay away from these places immediately.
The spokesman said the association contributes to the financing of “Hezbollah’s terrorist activities against Israel.” It reiterated that anyone staying in buildings used by Hezbollah must stay at least 500 meters away. Al-Kard al-Hassan also provides Hezbollah’s financial institution and loans. Among other things, it essentially functions as a type of bank, albeit unregistered.
Hezbollah attacks northern Israel again
Meanwhile, Hezbollah launched new attacks in the Israeli north. There was another rocket alarm in the port city of Haifa. According to the military, about 70 projectiles were fired at Israel from Lebanon. Some were intercepted by missile defenses, while others attacked the northern flank. The fire brigade was dispatched to douse several fires that were sparked, it said.
The Israeli military has been increasing its shelling of Lebanon for some time in its war against Hezbollah. So far, the main targets have been the south, where Hezbollah has traditionally had a strong presence, the Bekaa Valley in the east and the capital, Beirut. The Israeli military also sent ground troops into southern Lebanon in early October. According to the Lebanese government, more than 2,400 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in the past 12 months – most of them since the end of September. More than 1.2 million people have fled.
Attacks on Beirut
The Israeli Air Force launched another attack on the Lebanese capital Beirut on Sunday.
UNIFIL reports water shortage
War in the region makes water supplies difficult in Lebanon. The UN monitoring mission in the country, UNIFIL, reported water shortages among its troops after problems with providing clean water to the displaced population. UNIFIL said the town of Mais al-Jabal, near the Israeli border, had been without supplies and water for weeks. UN troops at the post received their last water supply three weeks ago as roads in the area are closed. Access to positions in this area is “difficult.”
Aid agencies are working to maintain water and sanitation facilities. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says at least 28 water facilities have been damaged in the conflict, particularly in the south, affecting water supplies for 360,000 people. “Ongoing bombings are disrupting essential water and sanitation services across Lebanon and increasing the risk of cholera outbreaks,” UNICEF said. Young children are especially at risk. So helpers distribute disinfection kits and water purification tablets as much as possible.
On Sunday evening, UNIFIL visited the UN headquarters in Marwahin, southern Lebanon. It also announced that an Israeli military bulldozer destroyed an observation tower at the position. A fence was also demolished. UNIFIL peacekeepers have recently come under repeated fire. At least five of them were injured. Most of the attacks were attributed to Israeli troops using air and ground forces to fight radical Islamist Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Israel has called for the withdrawal of UNIFIL troops from war zones. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the blue helmets will continue in their posts.
